MP asks Sudan Parliament to summon Interior Minister over Zalingei shooting

MP Siham Hasan has made an urgent request to the Parliament of Sudan to summon the Minister of Interior to answer questions about a deadly shooting incident in Zalingei in Central Darfur on Monday.

The shooting by militiamen left a displaced woman dead and 10 people injured.

In her request, MP Hassan demands to know the circumstances of the shooting incident at Khamsa Dagayeg camp in Zalingei, to ascertain whether a committee was formed to investigate the incident, and find out all the facts about the nature of the security situation in Central Darfur.

Hasan expressed surprise at “the attempt of the Commissioner of Zalingei to justify this violence, saying that these forces had lost their way to the displaced camp”.

She added that these forces have no right to use live bullets against the displaced and described the allegation of the Commissioner of Zalingei as covering-up the crime, adding that it was worth waiting for preliminary investigations to find out the circumstances.

As reported by Radio Dabanga yesterday, the coordinator of the Central Darfur camps, El Shafee Abdallah, informed Radio Dabanga about the incident in Khamsa Degaig camp. “A force of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces stormed the camp at 9am. They were driving vehicles mounted with Dushka machine guns.”

The attackers opened fire into the air. The hail of bullets instantly killed 22-year-old Magboula Hasabelnabi and wounded her child of 17 months old, Anas Adam, the camp coordinator reported. The mother’s body has been brought to the hospital.

Her death has led to demonstrations in the camp. “Demonstrators faced a police and security force, which led to the eruption of another demonstration in Zalingei,” Abdallah said.