Camp residents forced to pay ‘blood money’ for camel, West Darfur

Militiamen reportedly forced the residents of Saraf Jidad camp for the displaced in West Darfur to pay a sum of SDG8,000 ($1,800) as compensation for a camel they claimed was killed by the camp residents. One of the camp’s sheikhs reported to Radio Dabanga that the Commissioner of Sirba locality formed a committee to investigate the alleged dead camel found in the neighbourhood of the camp. The committee concluded that the camel died a natural death. The militiamen, however, rejected the outcome of the investigations, saying that they did not recognise the Committee or the Commissioner. They threatened to torch the camp and kill its residents if the “blood money” for the camel would not be paid. The sheikh said that they had to pay the amount after the Commissioner told them that he could not guarantee their protection. File photo Related:Injured camel sparks militia-displaced stand-off in West Darfur (8 August 2013)‘Abbala militias’ threaten to invade Darfur camp over dead camel (2 May 2013)