Darfuri’s ‘fear’ SAF troops and security forces following general’s speech

Residents of El Salam camp for the displaced are complaining about the treatment by security forces stationed at the gate of nearby Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. In Mershing, also in South Darfur, Sudanese Armed Forces troops, security forces, and the police besieged the town’s market.  The Sheikh of El Salam, Mahjoub Adam Tabaldiya, told Radio Dabanga that the security forces stationed at the southern gate of Nyala, subject the displaced of the camp to inspection in a “provocative and humiliating way, throwing away possessions of the camp residents.” According to Tabaldiya, the security forces are behaving in this way after the recent statement made by Major-General el Sir Bashir Hussein, commander of the Nyala infantry 16, during a speech at a celebration rally of the Popular Police Forces in Nyala on 6 October. Hussein had reportedly directed the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the police of Nyala to fire live ammunition at demonstrators.  The Sheikh noted that in the past the camp residents used to enter the city without being mistreated by the security forces. He added that SAF troops and militias are still “densely deployed” along the roads linking the city of Nyala with the camp, causing the camp residents to fear for attacks on them. In Mershing, South Darfur, SAF troops, security forces, and the police in 12 vehicles surrounded the market of. An eyewitness told Radio Dabanga that SAF troops, security forces and the police in 12 vehicles besieged the town’s market on Sunday “in search of militiamen suspected of killing a number of government troops in an ambush.” A witness said that the government forces exchanged fire with militiamen at the market, causing shop owners to shut their shops and citizens to flee to their homes. Some shop owners at the market opened on Monday again, others kept their shops closed in fear and anticipation of a possible retaliation by the militiamen. File photo (Major-General el Sir Bashir Hussein) Related: Sudan lawyers call on ICC to arrest general for ‘crimes against humanity’ (11 October 2013) National Consensus Forces, Sudan Revolutionary Front comment on Nyala speech (9 October 2013) Bombs dropped on North Darfur; General gives orders to fire on demonstrators in South Darfur (7 October 2013)