Civilians dead, wounded as police, militia clash in Darfur market

An as yet unknown number of people have been killed or injured after violent clashes reportedly erupted between police and pro-government militiamen at Tululu market near Zalingei in Central Darfur on Monday. Several witnesses told Radio Dabanga that the clashes were “sparked by a conflict between the police and the militiamen over which of them is entitled to levy taxes and duties on the market”. Traders immediately closed their shops and fled for their home. One trader, who fled the market and called Radio Dabanga from a hiding place in the nearby mountains, said that a group of militiamen in vehicles and motorcycles launched an attack on the market and the police station at about 3pm. “They fired many weapons into the air. I did not even close my shop but fled for my life towards the mountains,” he said, adding that while he saw dead and wounded falling, he could not say how many there were because in the panic everyone was fleeing in different directions. File photo: A Darfur market trader (Albert González Farran/Unamid) Related: Trader injured as ‘Sudanese soldiers’ raid Guldo market (18 August 2013)