Deaths, injuries from militia lawlessness in South Kordofan

HUDO, a Sudanese NGO dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights, reports that on May 3, members of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) randomly shot bullets while at El Tugula gold mine market in Talodi locality in South Kordofan. One person died and four others were injured.

No investigations have been carried out. The dead person is Abakar Osman Abakar and the injured are Abduelraouf El Tom, Hasan Mekki, Hasan Ismail, and Saeed Abduelmunim, HUDO reports. All of them are workers at El Tugula gold mine and they are from Abu Jubeiha area.

After the shooting, a civilian went and asked the RSF commandant for a vehicle to transport the injured people but he refused. People hired vehicles to transport the injured to Abu Jubeiha because there was no medical doctor in Talodi hospital. While they were on the way to Abu Jubeiha (which is more than 100 kilometres), one of the injured people died. No investigations have been held yet. HUDO was informed by one of the eyewitnesses that, the attack by RSF was deliberate and that they have been intimidating and harassing people always to force them evacuate the goldmine.

HUDO also reports that on 22 April, Noureldin Hammad was shot dead by a militiaman belonging to RSF at El Tugula gold mine due to personal dispute. A case was reported and filed at Talodi police office but there has been no further investigations.

Hammad, over 30 years of age, was a labourer at El Tugula gold mine and he is originally from Darfur. Due to a personal conflict between Hamad and the RSF member known by his nickname Tinga, the RSF soldier ordered Hamad to go with him to the RSF camp, but, Hammad refused. Then the RSF soldier went to his camp and came back with other six RSF members in a vehicle and ordered Hamad to go with them but again he refused. Immediately, the RSF soldier Tinga allegedly shot Hammad dead at point blank range, and together with other militiamen, they took the dead body on their vehicle.

The HUDO report says that the victim’s body was buried the second day at Talodi cemetery. On 3rd May 2019, the family of the deceased arrived in the town and opened a case against RSF soldiers at Talodi police office. But, no further investigations have been carried out though the perpetrator is known and moving freely.

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