Darfuri Activist Hawa Abdulla arrested

Darfuri activist Hawa Abdulla Mohammed Salih, a UNAMID staffmember was arrested by the Security Authorities last night in Abu Shouk near El Fasher. She was taken to an unknown destination. Displaced people who protested against her arrest, described Hawa as an activist in women’s affairs and passionate about the rights of displaced people.

The coordinator of camps in North Darfur stated that Hawa was targeted by the government and arrested and tortured before. He considered this arrest another incident of the security authorities targeting Darfuris working for UNAMID, camp leaders, and activists. The coordinator called upon Gambari, the head of UNAMID to mediate in her release, as she was a UNAMID employee. He also called upon the Security Council to discuss the protection of displaced people.

The Darfur Bar Association condemned the publication of inaccurate news about Hawa in several newspapers, calling it a violation of the interim constitution. They also stated that publishing a picture of her with the Bible in front of her, may put her life in danger.