Five herders killed in renewed Darfur attacks

Five herders were killed, and others were seriously injured in a shooting by gunmen in the Tawila locality of North Darfur state, on Saturday. According to local sources in Tawila, after the armed assailants fired their guns on the herders, they proceeded to steal hundreds of livestock.

Witnesses in Tawila appealed to the authorities to intervene urgently and contain the situation.

North Darfur has witnessed a surge in the frequency of attacks, looting, and arson by armed groups in the state. The rate of armed robberies committed against people in North Darfur has increased significantly this year, owing to the deteriorating security situation which has left Darfur vulnerable to crime.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga, professor of sociology at the University of El Fasher, Dr Ibrahim, said that the armed groups are able to evade the security due to the “multiplicity and proliferation of these groups carrying weapons in the city” so visibly. The professor said that “the solution lies in the instillation of security apparatuses and the demobilisation of these armed groups”. He also stressed the need for criminals to be dealt with, within the parameters of the law and not within a tribal framework.

The Mayor of El Maliha, Omar Ali Abdallah, expressed his regret over the rampant lawlessness in El Fasher and attributed it to the “widespread hunger in the state”, which has allowed so many to transgress the law.