Five killed, two girls raped as insecurity continues in North Darfur

At least five people were killed and two girls were gang-raped in separate incidents in the area south of El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, in the past two days. The Joint High Council for Security Arrangements in Khartoum yesterday decided to form a new joint task force to contain the growing violence in Darfur.

On Monday, four people, including two women, were killed in an attack on a passenger vehicle near El Fasher, capital of North Darfur.

The North Darfur Herders and Nomads Coordination reported in a statement yesterday that the vehicle was on its way from El Fasher to Kolgi. “When they reached the area west of the Zamzam camp for the displaced, a group of gunmen shot at the vehicle in an attempt to stop it.

Sukara Eisa, her brother El Tayeb, Maryam Saeed, and Ismail Abdelrahman were fatally hit. Three others were wounded.

The Herders and Nomads Coordination holds the Governor of Darfur and the North Darfur state authorities “fully responsible” for the insecurity in the area.

Displaced people living in Zamzam camp near El Fasher, reported that the markets and schools in the camp were closed on Tuesday, in anticipation of an avenge attack by herders.

They said that a large number of herdsmen riding on camels and motorcycles gathered at the place where the ambush took place, about 10 kilometres from the camp, and called on the authorities to intervene and protect them.

On Tuesday as well, members of the Herders and Nomads Coordination organised a vigil in front of the residence of the North Darfur government secretary in El Fasher, giving the North Darfur government 24 hours to arrest the perpetrators.

They also criticized the Sudanese authorities for failing to implement the security arrangements as stipulated in the Juba Peace Agreement, which was signed by the Sudanese government and a number of rebel movements in October last year.

Mohamed Abdelkarim, Secretary of the North Darfur government, said that the state security forces are investigating the attack on the passenger vehicle, and have arrested one of the suspects.

During his address to the participants of the vigil on Tuesday, he called on the relatives of the victims to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.

Rebel leader Minni Minawi who was appointed Governor of Darfur in August, accused “certain groups who do not want the region's stability” of being behind the recent violence in North and West Darfur.

In a statement yesterday, he said he contacted the governor of North Darfur and the state security committee “to prevent any violent response against innocent and defenceless civilians”, and called on the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces “to intervene and confront any attempt to attack civilians”, be it “in Zamzam camp or any other area within the state”.

Farmer killed

A man was shot dead on his farm near Um Zuhour village, north of Shangil Tobaya, on Tuesday afternoon.

A listener told Radio Dabanga that a group of gunmen raided farms in the area while farmers were collecting fava beans crops. When the victim protested, he was killed.

The source added that security forces went to the farm to collect the body.

Gang-raped

On Monday evening, two girls aged 14 and 13 were raped and four people were injured in an attack on the village of Rofta near Tawila.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, people reported that the gunmen fired heavily in the air before beating the villagers with sticks and rifle butts. The attackers raped the two girls by turns, and left, taking a number of donkeys, mobile phones, and other belongings of the villagers with them.

The villagers have reported the attack to the police in Tawila.

New joint force

The Joint High Council for Security Arrangements in Khartoum has decided to form “a joint deterrent force with special tasks” to contain the situation in Darfur.

The force will consist of army soldiers, paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces, former rebel combatants, and security, general intelligence and police forces. The joint command will be based in El Fasher.

In a statement following its periodic meeting on Tuesday, chaired by Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, head of the Sovereignty Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan Armed Forces, the Joint High Council confirmed that the new force will have wide powers to control, contain and resolve all breaches of the Rule of Law, collect weapons, and bring all offenders to justice in courts established for this purpose.

The joint force will help to impose the sovereignty and Rule of Law, and protecting civilians in Darfur, and contribute to the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement, maintain security, protect citizens and their property, and work to address the recurring violent events and to resolve them, the statement said.

In June, Sudan's military announced plans to “immediately” create a joint force in order “to crack down on insecurity” in Sudan.

Radio Dabanga reported on September 15 that a joint force comprising regular Sudanese forces and contingents from the parties to the Juba Peace Agreement was officially launched by Darfur Governor Minni Minawi in El Fasher. This initial joint force would form the nucleus of a larger force designed to protect civilians in Darfur, as stipulated in the Juba Peace Agreement.