Darfur lawyers: ‘Police still view displaced as rebels’

The Darfur Bar Association (DBA) calls on the Sudanese government to urgently develop a plan to contain the situation in Kalma camp for the displaced near the South Darfur capital Nyala.

Saleh Mahmoud, head of the DBA, said in a press statement that the plan must include “a unifying speech, clear procedures, justice and bringing those responsible for killings to trial”.

He stressed that the ousted President Omar Al Bashir and others who have been indicted must be handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to achieve justice. This is key in the steps towards stability and peace and will ease the situation in Kalma camp, he said.

In his opinion, the current government views the displaced in the same way as the former regime. “The police and other security forces are still dealing with the displaced as if they are rebels, not victims of war.”

He also said that people from EL Malam, Yara, Deribat, Tawila, Tarni and most of the villages in East Jebel Marra are still being displaced and fleeing to Kalma camp near Nyala.

He held the government responsible for “the continued deterioration of the situation in Darfur”. He observed that the government has not been able to enable the displaced to return to their lands since the revolution broke out two years ago.

In a meeting with the Transitional Partners Council (TPC) members Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo and Taha Osman Ishag in Khartoum on Monday, the five governors of Darfur stressed the need to urgently arrange security arrangements and peace agreements. The governors attributed the fragile security in some areas to tribal conflicts and the proliferation of weapons. They warned of “a resurgence of infiltration on certain roads”.

The governors expressed their concern over the suspension of the financing national road projects. They argued that financing national roads must be a top priority for the government in this year's budget. During the meeting the electricity and water crises in Darfur were discussed as well.

The governors further expressed their desire to reach a peace agreement with the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdelwahid El Nur, founder and leader of the mainstream Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW), and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North under the leadership of Abdelaziz El Hilu (SPLM-N).

Protests

In Warsi, Abu Karinka locality, East Darfur, people continued to close off the oil field for the second consecutive day, demanding the arrival of the Minister of Energy and Oil.

People from the region also organised a protest in front of the Ministry of Energy and Oil in Khartoum on Monday, calling on the minister to travel to the region.

Arrest

The wali (governor) of West Darfur, Mohamed El Doma, announced the arrest of two persons accused of shooting and wounding three worshipers in the Azarni area on Sunday.

People from the area told Radio Dabanga that two gunmen shot at worshipers in the Grand Mosque. They said that this led to protests and road blocks in the area.