More South Darfur villages plundered by Sudan’s militias

The government-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from Sunday to Tuesday have been looting the areas southeast of Nyala, South Darfur, in addition to the militias’ attacks on more than a hundred villages in these areas. News reports reached Radio Dabanga stating that the RSF, under the command of Mohamed ‘Hemeti’ Hamdan, and backed by camel herders, looted all the belongings of the residents’ homes southeast of the capital of South Darfur. The paramilitary forces had burned down more than 127 villages here on Monday and Tuesday. Fleeing residents from those areas recounted that the “Rapid Support Janjaweed” and camel herders loaded their properties in large vehicles. “Afterwards, they burned Allah Karim West, Allah Karim East, Kui Tai, Hashaba Hillet Borno, Afona, Um Laota, Foula Um Nawara, Foula Ab, Kalkaf, Bathga, Hajer, and Hillet Tabra”, a source reported. Some citizens fleeing Afona area recounted that the RSF have looted water pumps from these villages and destroyed the engines operating the wells. They called upon the international community and all the parties concerned with legal and human rights to stop these violations. Elements of the RSF in military uniforms, assisted by Abbala tribesmen, set fire to more than 127 villages in the areas south east of Nyala on Monday and Tuesday, a camp sheikh of El Salam camp told Radio Dabanga this week. A coordinator of Kalma camp said that the purpose of attacking and setting these villages on fire for the second time was to “clearly to prevent that the villagers will never return”.File photo: Remnants of a burned village in North Darfur (Albert González Farran/Unamid) Related: More than 127 South Darfur villages razed (2 April 2014)