Central Darfur rallies proceed as Zalingei ‘turns into barracks’

Popular demonstrations went ahead after Friday prayers, in spite of a large deployment of security forces to Central Darfur’s capital Zalingei. Three people were injured and an Iman was arrested.”The streets of Zalingei were transformed into a military barracks from early on Friday morning. Authorities deployed hundreds of soldiers in armoured vehicles and Land Cruisers.“They were backed by pro-government militias who tried to prevent peaceful demonstrations from taking place in the city centre,” a source told Radio Dabanga.According to local residents, the militiamen were deployed to strategic areas of Zalingei: markets, banks, schools, and government buildings.One of the organisers of the protests said the increased security in the town has made them change their minds and call off protests in the city centre:“We heard that militias were bringing in outside support. They normally take advantage of such situations to loot, steal money and other belongings from citizens, torch towns, and kill people. If this happened, we would be responsible for it. To avoid anything like that from happening, we called the protests in the city centre off.”’Shoot in the head’The organiser continued saying that the government cordoned-off Zalingei’s mosque with Land Cruisers mounted with Dushka machine guns after Friday prayers were finished. “They ordered us to get out one by one and go straight home. They threatened to shoot us in the head if we stopped anywhere. Everyone went home in fear.”However, sources said the citizens decided to stage the demonstrations in the el Saura, el Jazayyr, Hamedia North and South, Kereinik, Kunjo Miya, and el Jebeleen peripheral neighbourhoods of Zalingei instead.”People in all places were shouting ‘We went onto the streets against those who burned our country’, ‘Return, return, October, the National Congress Party is going to Kober (prison)’, and ‘The people want to topple the regime’”, sources recounted.Security forces and militiamen used batons, sticks, and tear gas to disperse protesters injuring three of them. In addition, Imam Habib Adam of the Al Sawra Mosque was arrested, witnesses reported.Displaced people from camps nearby Zalingei who would have attend the protests in the city centre also staged rallies in the camps of Hamidiya, Khamsa Dagayig, Teeba, Hasaheesa, and El Salam. Witnesses said that although security forces surrounded the camp, they did not intervene with the protests.File photo: Protests in Sudan Related: Central Darfur mobilises security ahead of ‘mass protests’ (10 October 2013)