Shelling, crime leave four dead in Darfur

Separate incidents in Darfur have led to the death of four people, including two women, a policeman and a farmer.

A blast bomb in southern Jebel Marra caused the death of two women and six livestock on Sunday night. A sheikh from Gouku informed Radio Dabanga that Sudanese military troops stationed at Gog, north of Kass, shelled several areas that night, killing Darelsalam Hamid (22) and Hawa Younis (72) on the spot.

The sheikh explained that this forced residents to escape the attack. Fighting between the Sudanese army and allied militias against the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW) sparked again starting March this year. The government attempts to eliminate the last strongholds of the only remaining rebel group in the region.

Farmers

In East Jebel Marra, 35-year-old Adam Haroun Yagoub was seriously wounded while trying to drive cattle off his farm. Farmers in the states North, South and West Darfur have complained about herders who let their cattle graze on the farmlands by force of arms. The fields are now in process of germination, a farmer in Darfur told Radio Dabanga.

He said that they have filed several reports about incidents with herders to police stations. These have not moved quickly to stop the attacks of the herders, the farmer added.

In South Darfur, herders shot dead farmer Adam Babikir at his farm near Abujou village, El Radoom locality, on Monday morning. The incident was reported to the police.

Policeman killed

Policeman Idris Hamdan was shot dead by gunmen in Buram, South Darfur on Sunday. Three others were wounded, including an officer. Their police force was hunting down robbers who stole cattle at Marfeina area in Buram locality.

Explosion

Two herders sustained injuries in a grenade explosion at Muhajiry in Yassin locality, East Darfur. The grenade reportedly exploded when the herdsmen set fire to a tree in an attempt to kill a huge snake hiding there.

Years of conflict have left Darfur and other war-torn areas of Sudan littered with unexploded ordnance (UXO). Radio Dabanga appeals to listeners throughout the region (and elsewhere in our reception area) not to touch any ‘unexploded’ grenades or other ammunition found in the field. Mark its position clearly to alert others, and report it immediately to a camp elder, Unamid and/or the local police.