Civilians, army clash with militia in South Kordofan

A number of people were killed and wounded on Monday in the area of Kharasan, Keilak locality in West Kordofan in violent clashes between paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and civilians, who were supported by army troops. Reporting to Radio Dabanga, multiple sources attributed the clashes to the assaults, pillaging and robberies, as well as sexual harassment of the people living in the area, by militiamen of the Rapid Support Forces, led by the commander of the Sudanese Border Guards, Mohamed Hamdan, better known as Hemeti. Reports about the death toll and casualties are conflicting. According to a witness 35 people from both sides were killed and wounded. Others mentioned 30 fatalities and wounded, noting that Sheikh Babakar, the imam of Kharasan mosque, was killed, as well were Adam Younis, Bakhita Hamdan, Sharif Kuku, Taha Ahmed Nujumi, Ismail Jamaa and Shamila Jamaa, El Amin El Zein and Khalifa Ismail. The sources said that the Sudanese Army garrison of Kharasan joined the people in the clashes against the militiamen, and added that the civilians demanded from the authorities to immediately expel these government-backed militias from the area. Radio Dabanga reported earlier that the Border Guards commander, Hemeti, allegedly recruited 5,000 to 6,000 young men in Darfur to receive a military training in Khartoum. They were initially told by Hemeti that they would be sent to Darfur. Later they discovered that they were, as Rapid Support Troops, transported to war zones in South Kordofan. File photo: Commander Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemeti’  Related: Relatives appeal for Darfuri youths recruited to fight in South Kordofan to return home (18 December 2013)Sudan training young Darfuris to fight in South Kordofan: recruit (9 December 2013)Militias recruit young Darfuris to fight in East Jebel Marra (28 November 2013)