North Darfur’s Tawila market closed since abductions

The local market in Tawila town, North Darfur, has been closed for almost a week as a result of the abduction of three men from inside the market. Militant members of the Abbala tribe attacked and abducted Omar Ismael Herry, Sharafedin Hussein Aba, and Younis Abdallah on Tuesday 11 November, and took them to an unknown destination. A relative of one of the three abductees told Radio Dabanga on Sunday that a delegation was sent to El Fasher to meet with the authorities and El Waha’s commissioner. “They promised that the men would be freed in three days’ time, which ended last Sunday,” the relative said. He renewed his appeal to the local authorities and the locality commissioner to release the three abductees unconditionally. The Aballa militiamen drove a Land Cruiser at the time of their attack against the men in Tawila’s market, south-west of El Fasher, on Tuesday afternoon. A witness explained that government troops who were present in the market pursued the militants but were unable to catch them. File photo: Rwanda camp for displaced people, near Tawila town (MSF) Related: Four civilians abducted from North Darfur market (12 November 2014)