South Darfur demo damns demonstrator deaths

A protest rally was held in front of the offices of the public prosecutor in the South Darfur capital of Nyala on Tuesday, condemning the killing of three people and wounding several others in Mershing by regular forces during demonstrations on Sunday and Monday. These demonstrations protested against the killing of a student by Rapid Support Forces militiamen last week.

The protesters held banners yesterday that read “Mershing is bleeding”, “Retribution for the perpetrators” and “Justice for all and disarm the militias”.

The protesters held the government responsible for the killings. The acting governor of South Darfur announced that he would form a commission of inquiry into the Mershing events.

He pledged during a visit to the area that anyone found to be involved in the killing of civilians will be brought to justice. This includes members of militias and various security forces, he said.

He also said that the joint force the government sent into the area will remain there to secure people and farms.

Jebel Marra

Two men were wounded when gunmen shot at farmers in the area of Bele Sareif, five kilometres south of Dubo El Omda in Tawila on Monday. A farmer told Radio Dabanga that gunmen on 15 camels and two motorcycles raided the farms on Monday afternoon. Their gunfire wounded Bakhit Suleiman and Adam Haroun. They then stole 88 cows. He said that the gunmen later abducted Yousef and Idris from the vicinity of Fallujah.

The farmer said that the incidents led to a protest by crowd of people in front of the military command at Katur, demanding the arrest of the perpetrators. According to the farmer, the military commander of the area refused to pursue the perpetrators under the pretext of having too few soldiers. He advised them to go to Tawila.

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