Militia kill nine, torch ‘voluntary return’ village in South Darfur

On Saturday, nine villagers were killed, and their homes burned to ashes in an attack by militiamen on Abu Jabra in Gireida locality, South Darfur. “About five weeks ago, the people of Abu Jabra had returned to their village, in the voluntary return programme organised by the Darfur Regional Authority,” an eyewitness from a neighbouring village told Radio Dabanga. “The formerly displaced had begun to settle themselves again at the place, located 20 km north of Gireida town.” “However, on Saturday afternoon, a large group of about 100 militiamen on camels and horses attacked the village, without any warning or clear reason. They fired at the people, killing nine instantly. After pillaging the entire village, they set it ablaze.” The villagers shot dead are Yasin Abdallah Mohamed, imam of the village mosque, Abdelaziz Musa Abdelaziz, teacher at the village school, Mohamed Eidam Ahmed, Mohamed Saleh Musa, Ali Adam Ali, Suleiman Musa Adam, Adam Eisa Jaber, Tijani Osman Mahdi, and Ilyas Mohamed Ali. About 500 families arrived, with six wounded, at the Babanusa camp for the displaced in Gireida locality, a camp elder reported to Radio Dabanga. “The wounded were immediately taken to the Nyala Teaching hospital. The newly displaced told us that there are at least 200 families that fled into the desert.” Sheikh Mahjoub Adam Tabaldiya of El Salam camp in neighbouring Bielel locality told Radio Dabanga on Sunday afternoon that he expects people to return to the camp from Abu Jabra. “Not long ago, they had left El Salam to resettle at their village again.” The village of Abu Jabra was razed to the ground before on 8 May 2005. File photo: Abu Suruj village in West Darfur after an attack (archive)