Escape from Kadugli: eyewitness accounts

Two refugees from Kadugli in Sudan’s border state of South Kordofan told their stories of survival to Radio Dabanga. In the first account, a resident named Abdul Mutalib Suleiman says he left Kadugli with his family last Wednesday. While making his way through the town, in an area congested with others desperate to escape, he witnessed a soldier execute a civilian on a motorcycle. Later, while driving northwards, he passed checkpoints where people of Nuba ethnicity were beaten and tied up. Here is his account: “A number of tanks entered the city of Kadugli on the evening of Sunday, 4 June, and, upon passing through the market of the city, sparked panic among civilians. Fear spread among them. Rumors circulated that war was on the verge of breaking out. Trading centers shut their doors and people ran to their houses, fearing what was about to happen, especially since that very day had witnessed clashes between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and the Armed Forces in Um Durein, 64 kilometers north-east of Kadugli.

“On the next morning, Monday, fear had overtaken all the citizens of the city and the roads were completely deserted of passers-by. News had reached them of battles going on in an area close to Kadugli, and it was thought possible that the battles would move to Kadugli. No one left his all day. In the evening, sounds of gunshots were heard in all directions of the city, confirming that a war had started. I heard women and children crying out in fear of bullets. There was panic in everyone. The shootings continued all night and no one was able to sleep. Everyone was questioning of what was going on.

“On Tuesday, the sound of clashes was stronger with sounds of tanks and heavy weapons audible. During the afternoon, civilians in the south-western parts of the city, where most of the battles were taking place, started fleeing from their homes to the northern part of the city, fearing of being hit by bullets. Children would scream every time they heard the sounds of explosions. I spend a long night under the sounds of bullets and none of my family members slept.

“On the third day, Wednesday, the number of those escaping the city had increased. With all fleeing, I decided to leave with my family and children. I set out with my family walking on foot and searching for a car to take us to a safe place. Upon reaching the area of the municipal building in front of the guest house, I witnessed a military group shooting heavily in the air, despite the congestion of the streets with people fleeing the city.

“While passing near an armed military group, I saw a man wearing military uniform shoot at one civilian who was on a motorbike and he died immediately. The soldiers were calling out ‘Allah Takbir’. After that I got in a car that was standing on the side of the road and the car moved with us to El Deleng. There were a number of checkpoints along the way where the car was stopped. At the checkpoints stood army men searching for people belonging to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement or the Nuba tribe. A number of youths were brought down from their cars at the checkpoints and were beaten and tied. All along the road were thousands of families walking on foot who had covered a distance of more than ten kilometers. Others were on board motorbikes and bicycles, fleeing the city, while some just held protests near the camp of the United Nations outside the city. The car went with us till we reached…

Another refugee from the clashes in Kadugli, Ad-dow Ahmed Babiker, said this:

“I went out of my house after the battles had calmed down and I fled from the city towards the UN headquarters. Soldiers were spread all over the city and the sounds of bullets kept increasing and everyone was running toward the outside the city till they reached the UN camps. After that I learnt that my house was robbed and all my properties were destroyed.

A number of people who fled also spoke of widespread robbery and looting operations in the market and houses, in addition to a large number of arrests of whoever was suspected to belong to the SPLM or Nuba tribe. Witnesses also spoke of killings, assassinations and searches in the area of Hajr Elmak and in Hai Elmasani inside the city.”