South Darfur village torched by ‘2,000′ ─ ‘dozens dead’
A group of 2,000 militiamen torched and “entirely burned” the village of Abu Jabra on Monday, killing and injuring “dozens” of its residents, forcing hundreds more to flee to El Salam and Girayda camps. Abu Jabra is located 20km from the town of Girayda.Several witnesses told Radio Dabanga that about 2,000 armed pro-government militiamen, mounted on horses and camels stormed Abu Jabra from three directions.A first group was led by Abdul Younis and his son Omar; they came from Dukuma and Tawil. The second group, led by Abdullah Abu Noba and Jeddou Suleiman, came from Umm Dawban, while the third group came from Dito.Sources said the gunmen commandeered a commercial truck, pillaged the entire village before torching “everything they came across, including houses and the market”.The witnesses released the names of eight victims who died: Sheikh Musa Yaqoub Ali; Ali Musa Mohamed; Professor Khatir Hakar and her son Jaber Mohamed Ishaaq; Mohamed Adam Harran; Al Toum Haroun; a butcher Abkar (known as Abu Garaja); and another man called Akeg.The militants then returned to Dito where they clashed with police who attempted to repulse their attack, however militias managed to enter the village and set it on fire. Four people were injured as a result, including the local police chief, Ahmed Ali Al Rayyan, an eyewitness said.In a separate incident, pro-government militias tried to stop a truck carrying civilians fleeing Abu Jabra to El Salam camp in Nyala. The driver accelerated in order to escape the attack but the vehicle overturned. Witnesses said that several passengers were injured.200 familiesSheikh Mahjoub Adam Tabaldiya of El Salam camp said that 200 families arrived at the site on Wednesday, fleeing areas such as “Abu Jabra in Girayda locality”.He described their humanitarian condition as “very bad”: a severe shortage of water and food, aggravated by the deterioration of security both in and outside the camp. He told Radio Dabanga that pro-government militias rob the displaced people in full view of police forces and UNAMID.On Wednesday, militias wearing military uniforms, opened fire to intimidate and rob Ahmed Mohamed Abdullah and Yaqoub Sinin who live at the camp. The sheikh said that gunmen still surround the camp, rob displaced persons and fire their guns.He appealed to UNAMID to work harder to protect civilians and displaced persons and “not merely write reports on it”. He also appealed to UNAMID to address the situation of the presence of armed militias at camp El Salam who attack displaced people on a daily basis.File photo
A group of 2,000 militiamen torched and “entirely burned” the village of Abu Jabra on Monday, killing and injuring “dozens” of its residents, forcing hundreds more to flee to El Salam and Girayda camps. Abu Jabra is located 20km from the town of Girayda.
Several witnesses told Radio Dabanga that about 2,000 armed pro-government militiamen, mounted on horses and camels stormed Abu Jabra from three directions.
A first group was led by Abdul Younis and his son Omar; they came from Dukuma and Tawil. The second group, led by Abdullah Abu Noba and Jeddou Suleiman, came from Umm Dawban, while the third group came from Dito.
Sources said the gunmen commandeered a commercial truck, pillaged the entire village before torching “everything they came across, including houses and the market”.
The witnesses released the names of eight victims who died: Sheikh Musa Yaqoub Ali; Ali Musa Mohamed; Professor Khatir Hakar and her son Jaber Mohamed Ishaaq; Mohamed Adam Harran; Al Toum Haroun; a butcher Abkar (known as Abu Garaja); and another man called Akeg.
The militants then returned to Dito where they clashed with police who attempted to repulse their attack, however militias managed to enter the village and set it on fire. Four people were injured as a result, including the local police chief, Ahmed Ali Al Rayyan, an eyewitness said.
In a separate incident, pro-government militias tried to stop a truck carrying civilians fleeing Abu Jabra to El Salam camp in Nyala. The driver accelerated in order to escape the attack but the vehicle overturned. Witnesses said that several passengers were injured.
200 families
Sheikh Mahjoub Adam Tabaldiya of El Salam camp said that 200 families arrived at the site on Wednesday, fleeing areas such as “Abu Jabra in Girayda locality”.
He described their humanitarian condition as “very bad”: a severe shortage of water and food, aggravated by the deterioration of security both in and outside the camp. He told Radio Dabanga that pro-government militias rob the displaced people in full view of police forces and UNAMID.
On Wednesday, militias wearing military uniforms, opened fire to intimidate and rob Ahmed Mohamed Abdullah and Yaqoub Sinin who live at the camp. The sheikh said that gunmen still surround the camp, rob displaced persons and fire their guns.
He appealed to UNAMID to work harder to protect civilians and displaced persons and “not merely write reports on it”. He also appealed to UNAMID to address the situation of the presence of armed militias at camp El Salam who attack displaced people on a daily basis.
File photo
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