Chadians enter Central Darfur ‘to recover stolen cows’

Chadian troops driving 147 Land Cruisers mounted with various weapons, a number of armoured vehicles and tanks entered Um Dukhun city, Central Darfur, on the evening of 12 November. Multiple sources in Um Dukhun told Radio Dabanga that the troops gave the Sudanese authorities a 24 hour-ultimatum to recover 350 cows they claimed were stolen by Sudanese in Chad. According to the witnesses, the Security Committee of Um Dukhun locality and the joint Sudanese-Chadian forces stationed in the area, failed to convince the leader of the Chadian forces to peacefully reach a solution to the problem in a meeting on 13 November. He threatened to take 350 Sudanese cows by force should the local authorities fail to recover the animals. The sources expressed their concern about possible confrontations that might occur between the Sudanese authorities and the people who seized the cows in case the Chadian group takes them. Bindisi and MukjarThe citizens of the localities of Bindisi and Mukjar have been living in horror since 12 November to Wednesday due to the entry of “many army troops, government-backed militias, and a joint Chadian-Sudanese force” into the region after the Misseriya-Salamat clashes of last week. They have been firing dense shots in the air continuously. Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that the reinforcement force consists of about 45 government vehicles, four tanks, 20 border guard vehicles, in addition to the joint Sudanese-Chadian force in 40 Land Cruisers and seven armoured vehicles. The governor of Central Darfur, Yousef Tibin, arrived on 13 November in Bindisi Town. Transportation between Bindisi and Mukjar has stopped entirely. File photo: Chadian troops Related: Sudanese and Chadian troops in Central Darfur after Misseriya-Salamat clashes (13 November 2013)