Central Darfur Wali: 76 bodies and counting as mass graves await exhumation

Three mass graves have been discovered in Central Darfur, State Wali (governor) Adeeb Abdelrahman has confirmed. In one of them, 26 skulls were found, a second contains more than 50 skulls, and third site soon to be exhumed.

In a dialogue session organised by the Darfur Bar Association at the Lawyers’ House in Khartoum on Saturday, Abdelrahman said that the families of the victims insist on handing over those involved in committing crimes to the International Criminal Court, rejecting any approach to internal trials as they do not trust them.

The participants in the session agreed on the legal and objective infeasibility of establishing a ‘hybrid court’ from the Sudanese criminal court and judiciary, as long as justice and the rights of victims are morally guaranteed to witness and stand on the path of achieving international criminal justice.

Abdelrahman called on lawyers to visit the state and help with land issues, paths, and possible disputes over land between displaced landowners and current users of land for pastoral and other uses, as well as to settle disputes between landowners among themselves due to the removal of signs that identify land between owners.

He talked about the humanitarian and political situation in Central Darfur state, the state government’s steps and contributions, and the difficulties it faces, such as the issues of the displaced and the camps. He said that the issues of disputes over land and the boundaries of tribal property is one of the main reasons for the eruption of the situation in Darfur.