Rebels, militia forces clash, villages raided and bombed in North Darfur

Fierce clashes between joint rebel forces and troops of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in Tawila locality, North Darfur, popularly known as East Jebel Marra, this morning. The Sudanese Air Force backed the militiamen with heavy bombardments, killing at least seven civilians. On Wednesday, RSF militia troops pillaged several villages in the area.

“The fighting concentrated near Mashrou Abu Zeid, over an area stretching between El Aradeib El Ashara, Goz Dor, Argatello, and the area west of Khazan Tunjur,” a resident told Radio Dabanga from the area. “We saw dozens of dead militia members, and a number of demolished cars.”

“The people in the area got stuck between the fighting between the rebels and the militias, and the heaviest bombing we witnessed in a long time,” others reported to Radio Dabanga late this afternoon.

“Antonovs started targeting the area west of Tabit, south of Tawila, and Mashrou Abu Zeid at about 11 am this morning, and continued, with intervals, the whole day,” one of them said.

“At least seven villagers were killed, and others wounded. Dozens of livestock were also killed, and the wells near Mashrou Abu Zeid were demolished.”

“There may be more casualties and fatalities,” he stressed. “We fled to a nearby valley, and are attempting to get more information. We retrieved the names of six people killed by the bombs: the sisters Shadia (36) and Hanan Musa Ahmed (25), killed in the area of Sorre, Idris Abakar Haroun (46), and Mohamed Kheir Mekki, in Argatello, and Amin Saleh Omar (60) and Mahjoub Juma, killed in one of the nomad’s settlements, located north of Mashrou Abu Zeid.”

He reported that on Wednesday, militia forces, in vast numbers, raided several villages in the area. “They beat the residents, and stripped them of all their belongings.”