Displaced Darfuri affirm NUP statements on Sudan’s militias

The newly displaced persons of Kalma camp in South Darfur completely agree with the speech of Imam El Sadig El Mahdi, in which he accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of the attacks and abuses in the region in the end of February and early March this year. So far, the RSF has denied these “negative reports”. A representative of the newly displaced who had fled from more than 100 villages southeast of Nyala, told Radio Dabanga that what El Mahdi said about the RSF last week “is exactly what happened to us”. “On the first day of their attacks, the militias burned 72 villages and killed, looted, and displaced people,” the Kalma displaced people’s representative stressed in the interview on Thursday. “On the second and third day, the number of villages affected by those incidents were more than 100. They killed entire families at one time, beside raping nearly 50 girls, and looting the property of unarmed citizens. They also kidnapped 20 girls aged between 14 and 17 years, whose whereabouts are not known so far.” He demanded that the International Criminal Court (ICC), human rights organisations, and the United Nations hold the government RSF accountable.In a press conference last week at the National Umma Party’s (NUP) headquarters in Omdurman, party leader El Sadig El Mahdi had accused the government RSF, commanded by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), of committing war crimes, rapes, and the looting and burning of villages in Darfur. The NISS filed a complaint against the NUP leader, after which he was questioned by a National Security prosecutor at the Khartoum Sajana security office on Thursday. North Darfur displaced back NUP The displaced people and those affected by the militias’ attacks and stealing in North Darfur have also stressed that what El Mahdi said “was true a hundred percent”. One of the affected activists of North Darfur confirmed to Radio Dabanga that the government RSF had burned “about 80 villages before the eyes of the UN”, in the areas of Hashaba, Um Sidir, Ba’ashim, Anka, and Birmaza. “They also burned 70 villages south of Tawila, the rural area west of El Fasher city, and the areas east of Korma.” He added that the militias looted at the same time tens of thousands of livestock and property. “Sudan should prosecute President Omar Al Bashir, his Defence Minister Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein, and NISS Director General Mohamad El Atta, who have sent the RSF to commit these crimes.” He confirmed that as victims and witnesses, they are ready to testify before an independent tribunal, calling the International Criminal Court to file charges against the leaders of the government and NISS. RSF accuses Unamid Meanwhile, the Sudanese RSF has accused the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (Unamid) of benefiting from the ongoing war in Darfur, saying it is seeking to prolong the crisis in the restive region. Commander Major General Abbas Abdel Aziz criticized Unamid’s negative reports about the RSF burning villages and raping women at a press conference on Wednesday. He admitted that his forces have committed some violations, describing them as “limited and individual”. He asserted that the RSF has a field trial unit for punishing those who violate the law. “We are not angels. “The existence of Unamid is linked to the interests of companies which supply the mission with food and soda from abroad in order to gain billions of US Dollars,” Abdel Aziz said. “We will proceed on until peace is achieved, either by mutual consent or by force.”File photo: Newly displaced in South Darfur in March 2014 (Unamid) Related: El Mahdi questioned for condemning RSF attacks in Darfur (15 May 2014) Janjaweed beat, rob, abduct displaced in South Darfur (13 May 2014)South Darfur’s Kalma camp registers 19 rape cases within 12 days (1 May 2014)