Five children die, many wounded in East Jebel Marra ‘offensive’

At least five children have died and many other people were injured during a large-scale attack, allegedly by elements of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), on East Jebel Marra on Tuesday. Witnesses fleeing the attack told Radio Dabanga that about 600 militiamen driving vehicles including Land Cruisers launched a large-scale offensive on the villages of Hashaba, Kutei, Karafula, Kujir, Tumu, Kadarik, Um Triter, Aboh, Um Deriseiya, Sharafa, and Dali. Izeldin Haroun Yahiya (6 months), Tagiya Bahreldin Falkha (2), Aisha Mukhtar Mohamed (1), Jibril Ahmed Saleh (4), and Yagoub Adam (3) are known to have died in the attack. Many others have been wounded. “The attackers abducted several women and girls, as well as extensively looting money and property from individuals and businesses. The exact number of casualties has not yet been ascertained, as citizens fled in all directions to take cover in the surrounding valleys and mountains.” Fleeing listeners also said that the RSF has occupied all of the water sources in East Jebel Marra, and have blocked the main roads linking the area’s major towns. “All main roads linking East Jebel Marra to El Fasher, Nyala, Shangil Tobaya, and Tawila are blocked,” said callers, who fear starvation and thirst. They appealed to the Unamid, the UN and the Security Council to intervene urgently “to save us from certain death that looms on all sides of East Jebel Marra. File photo: A teacher and his students at a camp for the displaced in Shangil Tobaya (Albert González Farran/Unamid) Related: Unexploded ordnance kills three children in Darfur’s East Jebel Marra (13 April 2014)One killed, two brothers maimed by grenade in East Darfur (29 August 2013)Nine Darfuri children injured by bomb (28 Jun 2013)