Robbery, beating, abduction in North Darfur

A large group of gunmen plundered the market of Tawila, North Darfur, on Saturday. In Kutum locality, militiamen beat up 12 women of Kassab camp when they were collecting firewood. Two butchers were abducted from the camp.

“About 300 militiamen on camels and others in two Land Cruisers stormed the Tawila market on Saturday morning,” Omda Mukhtar Bush, coordinator of the Tawila camps for the displaced, informed Radio Dabanga.

“When one of them attempted to rob Yahya Mohammed Musa, member of the paramilitary Popular Defence Forces, of his gun, Musa shot him dead, and wounded another militiaman. In response, he was gunned-down himself.

“The attackers then proceeded robbing the people at the market. They stole cash money totalling more than SDG 20,000 ($3,350), 22 mobiles, the meat of five slaughtered cows, and a vehicle belonging to Siraj Mohamed Bosh.”

The Omda explained that army forces and the members of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police (Abu Tira) intervened, and chased the robbers from the market. “They also returned the stolen vehicle to its owner.”

Kassab camp

12 women from Kassab camp, who were collecting firewood near the camp, were severely beaten and whipped by militiamen on Saturday. Some of them sustained serious injuries.

The militiamen then entered the camp, seized two butchers, and took them to an unknown destination. One of them was released not much later, while Suleiman Aleeja Mohamed is still being held, a Kassab camp sheikh reported to Radio Dabanga yesterday.