Prayers, condemnations of West Darfur mosque killing

Today, the Ansar mosque in Omdurman performed prayers for the seven people who were slain in the mosque of Azerni camp in West Darfur.

The Ansar mosque is located in Wed Nubawi. Darfuri civil society organisations have strongly condemned the assault on the prayers in Azerni camp for displaced people near El Geneina on Sunday. A couple of armed tribesmen killed six people on the spot in the mosque. A wounded 14-year-old boy succumbed to his injuries on Monday.

Armed tribesmen also killed two displaced men in the camp on Sunday evening. The attacks followed a dispute between one of their tribesmen and a man near Azerni, in which the tribesman was stabbed to death.

Four displaced people, including two young brothers, who were wounded in the shooting in the mosque remain in serious condition in the hospital.

In a statement, the civil society groups have called for the formation of an international inquiry committee to identify the perpetrators of the bloody attack.

“The government of West Darfur must allow local organisations and activists to access Azerni area so they can provide technical, legal and psychological assistance to the victims and their families.”

'Organisations must assist' 

In addition to this, regional and international organisations should provide their assistance to the affected people soon, the groups stressed. The events in Azerni have so far not been addressed by any organisations or the UN-AU hybrid peacekeeping mission Unamid.

“The issue of financial compensation to the families of the deceased should not be left in the hands of the militant Abbala tribesmen. Judicial authorities have to assume their full responsibilities to protect the civilians.”

Family members of the tribesman who was killed on Sunday demanded financial compensation from the residents of Azerni camp. The camp residents consented to paying half of the total amount. Sheikhs in the camp told Radio Dabanga that it is unacceptable that camp residents are forced to paying blood money.

The civil society organisations added that the perpetrators of other massacres in Sudan, such as the bombing in Heiban on 1 and 23 May that killed several children, should face trial.