Man killed in militia attack on Central Darfur camp

Militiamen killed a man in attacks on a camp for displaced people in Zalingei locality. Approximately nine people sustained injuries.

The militiamen reportedly drove nine four-wheel drive vehicles and rode motorcycles and camels to enter Khamsa Degaig camp, southeast of Zalingei, at midnight on Saturday. The coordinator of the camps in Central Darfur, El Shafie Abdallah, reported to Radio Dabanga that some of the vehicles carried number plates of the Sudanese army. “The attack by the militiamen of the Rapid Support Forces sparked terror among camp residents.

“Camp residents contacted the state authorities and the police to ask for protection. The police station is metres away from the camp,” El Shafie said. A delegation headed by the locality commissioner arrived six hours after the attack.

Several hours later, at 7am on Sunday, the militiamen fired shots at the camp which resulted in the killing of Mustafa Adam Abakar (36 years). A 16-year-old boy named Abul Gasim Omar Mansour was abducted. Reportedly nine people sustained injuries and now receive treatment at the hospital in Zalingei.

Sudanese soldiers in two armoured vehicles and six Land Cruisers arrived at the scene to separate the attacking militiamen from the camp residents. “These militiamen are located 1km from the camp, but none of the perpetrators have been arrested so far.”

The coordinator thinks that the attack happened after the discovery of the body of one of the militia members in Dengajuri, 5km southeast of Zalingei. The militiamen accused residents of Khamsa Degaig of committing the murder.

Cattle theft

Gunmen shot a resident of Tawila locality on Saturday and killed him on the spot. Relatives of the slain Mohamed Abdelrahman said that an armed group driving a vehicle attempted to steal his cattle by force. When Abdelrahman refused to surrender they shot him dead.