At least seven die in ongoing attacks on South Darfur villages

At least seven people were killed in a series of attacks on villages east of Nyala, capital of South Darfur, on Wednesday and Friday. Sources told Radio Dabanga on Friday that at least six villagers were injured, in addition to a policeman and a paramilitary of the Rapid Support Forces.

The attack on Wednesday in which three people were killed, was followed by a large-scale attack on Friday morning, during which four more people died.

A large number of houses burned to the ground in five villages on Friday, including Amouri, Um Tereina and Jemeiza, in violent attacks by armed herders.

The sources said that government forces withdrew from the area due to the large number of heavily armed attackers riding in four-wheel drive vehicles.

Almost all villagers in the area fled their homes.

Activists staged a protest in Nyala on Friday, denouncing the lack of security in Beleil locality, blaming the government for that.

Darfur Bar Association condemns the events

The Darfur Bar Association (DBA) condemned the killing and wounding of citizens and the burning of a number of villages in Beleil locality in South Darfur.

In a statement on Friday, the DBA expressed its serious concerns about the attacks launched by gunmen on a number of villages belonging to the Moreer Administrative Unit in Beleil locality, east of Nyala since Wednesday. 

The violence was triggered by the theft of sheep earlier this week. Relatives of the sheep owner formed a search posse, and traced the thieves. This led to a firefight in which one of the thieves was killed.

In response, armed herders riding on motorcycles, tuk-tuks and in four wheel drive vehicles launched an attack on nine villages: Amouri, Tagali, Um Tereina, Humeida, Fasha, Erikong, Hajir Simbo, Sa’engo, and Jemeiza.

The Darfur lawyers noted that no clear information was available on the number of dead and wounded, due to the closure of the roads leading to the area of Moreer.

The lawyers hold the South Darfur state government as well as the federal authorities in Khartoum responsible for the proliferation of weapons and the absence of law in the region, and demand disarmament.