S. Darfur camp members ‘to expel criminal displaced’

Members of camps in Kalma, South Darfur, issued on Tuesday a decision “to expel any displaced proved guilty of executing criminal acts or of cooperating with criminal gangs”.   Kalma’s sheikhs, imams and youth and women’s representatives also announced they will hand over “non-displaced outlaws” to government authorities, Ali Abdelrahman, head of the camp, told Radio Dabanga. The decision was issued as Kalma representatives are blaming the government for using armed herders and militias as proxies to dismantle displaced camps. According to them, pro-government militias “often falsely accuse” the displaced of stealing their cattle and, in turn, “retaliate” by setting fire on Kalma camps. Sheikh Abdelrahman explained to Radio Dabanga that Sudanese authorities have repeatedly released outlaws that attacked the camp, sometimes even on the same day there were handed over by UNAMID, despite onlookers’ accounts of their involvement.   He appealed to herders’ leaders not to attack or burn the camps because the displaced are not involved in cattle theft.Radio Dabanga file photo