LJM accuses SLM Abdul Wahid of sparking escalating violence in Hamdiya camp

The Liberation and Justice Movement of Tijane Sese accuses the SLM Abdul Wahid of killing two men who stole a motorbike last week, which sparked a series of escalating incidents around Hamadiya camp in Central Darfur. One of them was a relative of the leader of the paramilitary group the Border Guards, who accused the IDPs in the camp of killing the two men.

Since, tensions have risen between IDPs from the Hamdiya camp and the government paramilitary group after the latter, in an act of retaliation, reportedly raided the camp, took ten hostages and robbed nine displaced people in separate incidents last week (http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/33282).

The State Minister of the Cabinet and spokesman of the LJM Ahmed Fadul told Radio Dabanga that the SLM Abdul Wahid is behind the killing of the two men last week.

He denied all accusations of involvement in the incidents surrounding IDP camp Hamidiya in Zalingei. Ahmed Fadul confirmed one of the killed men was a member of the LJM and a relative of Fadil Abu Manga, former head of the Border Guards and also a member of the LJM. He stated the two men were killed with traditional weapons and that their bodies had been mutilated. The LJM is working together with the local administration to push for the release of the abducted IDPs and a peaceful resolution.

Meanwhile, the SLM Abdul Wahid strongly denies all allegations made by the LJM. Salah Rassas, the Secretary General of the movement told Radio Dabanga the movement is not present in the camp. He appealed to the international community to work for the release of the nine hostages currently held by the Border Guards.