Clamp-down in North Darfur capital following militia-army clash

The situation in the North Darfur capital remained tense today in the aftermath of clashes between Sudanese regular forces and militiamen yesterday that left at least one army officer dead, and four soldiers wounded.

Exact casualty numbers are still unclear, however the Governor of North Darfur, Abdelwahid Yousef, told Radio Dabanga in addition to the death of Army Lieutenant El Tayeb Abdallah El Tayeb, there were also casualties among the militia responsible for the initial attack.

Governor Yousef said that there were no casualties among the public, but that a joint force including Sudanese army troops and police is still in pursuit of militiamen led by Issa Mohammed Ibrahim El Mashiach.

The clash on Thursday began when the army, assisted by police, attempted to remove the militiamen from El Borsa exchange market east of El Fasher.

The governor praised the people of El Fasher for their cooperation, and vowed that the authorities will press ahead to neutralise the militias that have “terrorised citizens for more than 14 years”.

He said that the hunt for group led by El Mashiach will not end until the perpetrators of Thursday’s clash are arrested and brought to justice for murder, intimidation, looting, and extortion, asserting that this is “the last remaining group” of its kind in the area.

At an emergency meeting with Governor Yousef and the North Darfur security committee, the state issued a directive banning the movement of unregistered vehicles with camouflage paint or darkened windows that prevent anyone from seeing inside, as favoured by the militiamen.