Border Guards threaten to kill 9 hostages in Central Darfur

The government paramilitary Border Guards arrested nineteen (19), raped three (3) women and injured four (4) during an attack on a camp for displaced people in Central Darfur on Monday. The camp coordinator told Radio Dabanga the paramilitary group released ten (10) of the captives the following day but threatened to kill the remaining nine (9) hostages. In a telephone call to the camp coordinator the group threatened to attack the camp for a second time if a ransom of 900 million Sudanese pounds is not paid within 24 hours.

The incident was sparked when three relatives of Abu Manga, the commander of the paramilitary group, stole a motorbike in the town of Zalingei on Monday. They were driving towards Sharif Umrah when two of them were killed, one managed to escape. The paramilitary group accused the displaced people of Al Hamadiya camp of killing the two men. In an act of revenge Abu Manga and his men attacked the camp. The paramilitary group surrounded the north eastern area of the camp on Monday, only leaving on Tuesday.

The coordinator of the camp denied the accusation of Abu Manga and told Radio Dabanga “the Sudanese police killed the two men. The security forces spread the false rumor that members of the camp committed the crime”. He said the situation in the camp is tense.

The camp coordinator called on the Darfur Regional Government and UNAMID to intervene and protect the remaining hostages. Radio Dabanga tried to contact UNAMID for a statement but could not reach them.