Border Guards raid villages in Kutum, North Darfur

A force of Border Guard members has attacked several villages in Kutum locality in North Darfur, assaulted dozens of residents, robbed them and torched their houses and farms for an entire week.

A Member of Parliament in Kutum and affected residents have reported the incidents in Lamena and Abu Sekin areas to Radio Dabanga. He claimed the force was riding in Land Cruisers mounted with Dushka machineguns on top. “People were forced to abandon 36 out of the about 86 villages in the areas. A large number of people is displaced,” said El Tayeb Ahmed Ibrahim.

Ahmed Ibrahim accused the state authorities of complicity with the paramilitary militias and called on the North Darfur government to assume its responsibilities towards the civilians.

The residents of Abu Sekin and Lamena raised a formal complaint to the security and defense committee of the Parliament on Sunday. El Tom Mohamed Ahmed, one of the representatives of the delegation from the areas, said that the security committee has pledged to bring the matter to the attention of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ibrahim Ahmed Omar, and the leadership of the army.

The representative revealed that the Border Guards’ attacks on Lamena and Abu Sekin began on 30 August and continued until last Saturday. “They burned 7km long gardens and orchards and seized them. They have imposed fees on the farmland owners.

“They also abducted the son of the Omda of the two areas, and demanded a ransom of SDG5,000 ($815) for his release.” Mohamed Ahmed added that the Omda’s kidnapped son managed to escape from the grip of the militants and is bedridden at El Fasher hospital.

MP Ahmed Ibrahim said that they received another memorandum in the Parliament from the residents of both areas on Monday, in which they demand the government to stop the attacks.