North Darfur camp nazirs: Five dead, 18 rapes this year

On Friday, statistics presented by nazirs (native administration leaders) of Zamzam camp south of El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, to a delegation of federal and North Darfur state authorities and international relief staff workers, show 18 cases of rape and five deaths between the end of 2018 and February 14, in addition to the injury of dozens of displaced people, and the theft of large amounts of money and thousands of livestock.

A Zamzam camp sheikh told Radio Dabanga that the North Darfur deputy governor, the chief of police, the commissioner of El Fasher, a social welfare officer, and the head of the federal Women Union, held a meeting with camp leaders and members of the Zamzam Women, Youth, Students and Families of Victims Association to discuss the recent upsurge in attacks on camp residents by various gunmen in the area.

He said that the nazirs provided statistics to the government delegation of attacks on camp residents between the end of 2018 until February 14, which amounted to 35 complaints: 18 cases of rape, including eight minors, five people killed (three women and two men), dozens of people injured of whom 12 seriously, and the theft of large amounts of money and thousands of livestock.

After the meeting, the delegation visited the families of the victims, as well as the scene of the event in the area of Um Hashaba, 12 kilometres west of Zamzam camp, where five women, including three minors, were subjected to a six-hour rape ordeal at the hands of herdsmen in North Darfur on February 4.

As previously reported by Radio Dabanga, residents of Zamzam camp took to the streets in mass protest on Thursday. The camp’s central market was filled with protesters from 8am until noon. People responded to the calls to join the ‘March for the Victims of Wars and Violence’ by the Sudanese Professionals Association and other signatories to the Declaration of Freedom and Change.