More displaced from Jebel Marra reach Shangil Tobaya

More than 1,000 displaced people have arrived in a camp in Shangil Tobaya, North Darfur, after fleeing the ongoing military attacks in Jebel Marra.

“200 families arrived in the past couple of days,” the coordinator of Shaddad camp told Radio Dabanga on Friday. “Among these 1,500 people are many children, women, and elderly people.” He said that they currently live in the open without shelter, food, and medicines.

Shangil Tobaya is more than 60 kilometres north of the Jebel Marra Massif. By 21 February, aid organisations have estimated that more than 90,000 people are displaced after the fighting between government forces and rebel troops of Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW). This number includes 87,500 people who have fled to camps in North Darfur, including Shaddad.

Two weeks ago, a large number of militiamen entered Shangil Tobaya and assaulted and threatened residents. Eight girls and women were raped in separate incidents in the vicinity of Shaddad camp this month.

Central Darfur security

The government in Central Darfur has called upon the federal authorities to intervene in the process of collecting weapons from civilians and implementing security measures in the state.

The Commissioner of Um Dukhun locality, Mohamed Ishag Ahmed, requested the authorities to cooperate with the armed movements that have signed peace agreements with the government in implementing the security arrangements in the region.

He said at a press conference in Khartoum that the peace and reconciliation process, launched by the state government, “has been successful in stabilising and resolving tribal conflicts, in collaboration with the native administrations”.

In the North Darfur capital El Fasher, Kutum locality, and in South Darfur, security measures are also active, in an attempt to reduce the increasing crime rates.

Ahmed further praised the efforts of the joint Sudanese and Chadian military forces in supporting this stability in the state. He said that Chad has countered “activities of rebel movements” on the border areas the two countries share.