Darfur Bar Assoc. to assist families of Misteriya raid victims

Darfur Bar Association has announced that it will be “assisting some families to achieve justice” following alleged violations by members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the raid on Misteriya in Kutum locality, North Darfur on November 26.

The raid resulted in the arrest of Musa Hilal, his sons, brothers, and many of his entourage, but, however North Darfur Minister of Defence, Ali Mohammed Salim, has denied that there were 12 civilian casualties.

The Bar Association said in a statement that it has received a number of requests from some of the families affected by the violations, led by the family of Adam Khater, the Prince of Olad Eid in Central Darfur, who was allegedly tortured to death by agents of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) in transit to Khartoum following the raid and arrests.

The association has confirmed that it will begin helping the affected families to achieve justice and called on the authorities to allow the families of detainees to meet their lawyers, treat them in accordance with the Constitution, the law and the provisions of Islamic law Sharia, not torture them or refer them to trial but release them.

The Revolutionary Awakening Council, led by Musa Hilal, has issued a list of more than 100 detainees after the recent incidents including the arrest of three brothers from a Misteriya area namely a Border Guards officer El Tahir Hamdan, Mohammed Hamdan and El Nazir Hamdan.