Darfur’s East Jebel Marra bombed, farms attacked

The Sudanese Air Force conducted a series of aerial bombardments on the southern part of Tawila locality, North Darfur, traditionally called East Jebel Marra, over the weekend. The farmers in the area complain about repeated attacks by militiamen and new settlers during the past few weeks.

Multiple sources reported to Radio Dabanga from the area that two Antonov and two MiG fighter jets dropped dozens of barrel bombs north of Dubo El Madrasa and east of El Aradeib El Ashara on Saturday and Sunday.

A resident of El Aradeib El Ashara said that 18 bombs were dropped on the area east of the village. “The bombings did not cause any casualties, but set fire to a vast area and created panic and fear among the people. Most of them fled.”

'Expelled'

During the past few weeks, militant herdsmen and new settlers expelled villagers from their farms and homes in the area.

“The herders repeatedly threaten to kill us if we do not let them graze their livestock on our farms,” a farmer informed Radio Dabanga.

He said that militant herdsmen assaulted farmers in the areas of Katur, Koto, Tokomari, Dali, Nemra, Dubo El Madrasa, and Burra. “Also there, they drove their livestock onto farms by force of arms. We filed several complaints to the Commissioner of Tawila locality and other North Darfur officials, but they did not respond.”

The villages of Dowa, Dady, Keira, and Dolma were attacked by large groups of new settlers, a resident of Dady reported to Radio Dabanga. “Most of us fled to Tabit, Koto, and Hashaba,” he said, and  appealed to the UN and Unamid to intervene and protect them from the settlers' attacks.