Rolling militia attacks wreak havoc in Darfur

Two men were shot dead on Saturday in the area of Turbo in North Darfur, 10 kilometres south of Dubo El Omda. Relatives of the victims told Radio Dabanga that on Saturday, a gunman in plain clothes shot Babiker Ibrahim and Adam Haroun, who were transporting coal on a cart, killing them instantly. Also in North Darfur, one person was killed and three were wounded near Abu Zereiga, south of El Fasher, on Monday morning, in an armed attack on a vehicle travelling from Nyala to El Fasher.

A passenger in the vehicle said gunmen opened fire, forcing the vehicle to stop. The attackers forced the passengers to lie on the ground and stole their phones, belongings, and money. He stated that the body of the passenger who was killed, as well as the those who were injured, were transported to the El Fasher Teaching Hospital. He said these events have become a recurrence on the El Fasher-Nyala road.

On Sunday evening, one person was killed and two sustained injuries in a shooting in South Darfur. Awatef Abdelmalik, (55), was shot dead, and Ali Daoud (30) and, Mohamed Abdelrahman (8) were wounded in a motor rickshaw, in the Muhajeriya area, 15 km south of Gereida of the incident had been filed with El Joghana police.

In North Darfur, gunmen burned a vehicle and four people went missing in two separate incidents on Friday evening in Wadi Marra in Dar El Salam, North Darfur.

Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that gunmen riding camels fired at a pickup truck on its way from El Fasher to Shangil Tobaya. The gunmen proceeded to set the vehicle alight after the driver fled.

Witnesses said the same gunmen opened fire on another vehicle carrying passengers at the same location in Wadi Marra, which was on its way from El Fasher to Nyala. They pointed out that the driver of the vehicle was able to escape with one of the passengers, while four of the passengers, Adam Haroun, Yousef Ibrahim, Abdellatif Omar, and Jido Mahjoub, are still missing. They say that reports of the incidents were opened with police in Shangil Tobaya and Abu Zereiga.

The authorities of North Darfur announced an integrated plan to secure the road linking El Fasher and Nyala with a joint force of all security agencies in the state to secure vehicles that operate between El Fasher and Tawila, in coordination with the local executive directors.

The rapporteur of the State Security Committee, Maj Gen Abdelkarim Hamdou, said that the State Security Committee met on Monday with its full membership and reviewed the most prominent security challenges in the state.

Hamdou pointed out that the most important outcome of the meeting is the formation of a joint force to secure the El Fasher-Nyala road, to secure vehicles operating between El Fasher and Tawila. He also added that the meeting discussed border trade between Sudan and Libya, where they then decided to lift all toll fees on the road.

West Darfur

Also on Sunday, a policeman and three civilians were wounded by gunfire from armed militiamen in Kereinik in West Darfur. Sources in Kereinik say the incident occurred after a displaced person was injured in a shooting when he went out to collect hay. In a subsequent exchange of fire, a policeman and three other people  were wounded.

The incident caused horror among the population of Kereinik, prompting residents to seek refuge in other neighbourhoods and the town centre.

Gunmen also plundered villages in the area of Hajar Tama in Kereink on Sunday.

The Amal Centre for Human Rights in West Darfur condemned the attack in Aidekong in West Darfur last Thursday, which left eight people dead. In a statement, the centre called for an international investigation into the incident to bring those involved to justice.

In their statement, the centre accused the Rapid Support Forces of involvement in the bloody events witnessed in Aidekong and demanded their removal from the state. The statement also called for authorities to do their part in preserving the lives and property in the area.

The centre detailed the incident in their statement, stating that cross-border militiamen and others living near the neighbourhood of Aidekong, attacked the police station in the area, broke into the armoury and, seized their weapons. Adding that, the homes of community leaders in the area were shot at, as well as shops and homes of villagers, which led to the death of eight people and dozens wounded. Their statement blamed the looting, and burning of homes and shops, for survivors leaving Aidekong to escape to Chad.