Khor Abeche camp in South Darfur laid waste

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked the Khor Abeche camp for the displaced in South Darfur on Saturday, and destroyed it entirely. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, a resident of the camp recounted that “militiamen of the RSF” attacked the camp, 80km northeast of state capital Nyala. “They came in about 50 vehicles loaded with various weapons, others on motorcycles, camels and horses. The camp was attacked from two sides: the first attack came from the south, and the second from the northwest.” The RSF troops looted all belongings and livestock from the displaced, as well as shops, schools, and other facilities. They destroyed all the water wells, and set the houses and buildings on fire, including a hospital managed by the World Vision organisation. During the attack sheikh Hassan Ibrahim Digeila (70) was burned to death. Others were injured, one of the sources said. “The Janjaweed also abducted the son of the sheikh of the area, Eisa Abdallah Hileilo; the deputy omda of the Zaghawa, Hussein Abakar Mohamed; Osman Adam Ahmed, a guard working for World Vision, and Sileik Jarelnabi.” Unamid team site “The Unamid team site is located about ten metres from the camp,” the source noted. “We all fled to the site for protection. On Sunday afternoon they were still besieging us. Everyone leaving the site is killed or abducted. “A number of militiamen returned on Sunday morning with lorries, and took what was left from the day before. They took the water pumps and the grinding mills. They emptied the granaries and plundered the hospital of all the refrigerators, medicines, furniture, and generators.” The more than 2,000 camp residents at the Unamid site are living in the open, without food, water, medicine, or covers. The source called upon humanitarian organisations to provide these basic needs. He also demanded from the UN Security Council and the international community to intervene, and protect them, and bring those involved to justice. Dr Ismail Hussein Fadul, Member of Parliament for the Khor Abeche constituency, and chairman of the parliament opposition parties, strongly condemned the attack. He described it as a war crime and a crime against humanity. He urged the local South Darfur State and humanitarian organisations to immediately intervene and transport the displaced sheltering at the Unamid team site to El Fasher or Nyala. Recruited The RSF were recruited among young Darfuris in October 2013.They received military training in Khartoum and were allegedly drafted by the government to fight against the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) in South Kordofan. They withdrew from South Kordofan late 2013, and were stationed in North Kordofan until mid-January 2014 where they committed a series of crimes, including killings, rape, robberies and multiple abuses against civilians in the environs of El Obeid. The presence of the Janjaweed militiamen in North Kordofan was met by fierce opposition from the local people and generated a nationwide outcry from Sudanese political parties and opinion makers, which forced the government to order them to leave the area. However, the redeployment of the militiamen into Darfur was met by indifference from political forces in Sudan. File photo: The ruins of a mud brick house in Darfur Related: Dead, injured as more than 16 villages attacked in North Darfur (18 March 2014) 10,000 flee militia attacks on Darfur’s East Jebel Marra (16 March 2014) Thousands displaced in attack on more than 35 villages in South Darfur (28 February 2014) ‘Rapid Support Forces in Darfur to fight rebels’: General (26 February 2014)