Number of displaced fleeing to North Darfur capital grows

Thousands of people who fled from villages in El Fasher locality, North Darfur, which were burned and looted by militias seven days ago, have been arriving in Shagra area, west of El Fasher city. The newly displaced families have found shelter in Hillet Abu Bakr, Hillet Mura, and Hillet Musa in Shagra area. Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that the arrivals have lost all of their possessions during the attack and looting by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). “They were forced out of their houses, and now live in a bad humanitarian situation.” The people come from the villages of Drekeina, Hillet Hamiz, Goz Azbanyat, Jaronga, Ardy, Gragf, and Amagus. A witness said that Shagra receives about 150 people on a daily basis since a week. He appealed to the aid organisations to condemn “the ongoing attempts of the government to force the displaced people to return to their destroyed villages”. “Security does not exist and militias are still active in Darfur”, he said. The RSF, together with other militiamen, attacked Sarafaya area in El Fasher locality on 21 March. At least eight villages were destroyed. An unknown number of people were killed and wounded. Several people who fled the attacks said that Durma, Uzbani, Juruf, Murtak, Karaw, Faki Nur, Gamar Eldin, Karkar, Ahmedu, Abu Duda, and Yahya Urbi were attacked.Map: El Fasher city and Sarafaya town. In between lies Shagra area. Related: At least eight villages destroyed in area west of North Darfur’s El Fasher (21 March 2014)