South Kordofan judge refers ‘militia case’ to Khartoum

A judge of the El Abbasiya Court in South Kordofan has referred a local case to a court in Khartoum for reasons of security.

In early September last year, members of the paramilitary Popular Defence Forces (PDF) attacked the villages of El Senadra and El Shawaya in El Abbasiya locality.

Eight people were killed and 16 others were injured in the attack, which drew thousands of people to the hospital of El Abbasiya where they staged a protest against the attacks and the alleged impunity of the government militia.

One of the demonstrators told Radio Dabanga at the time that PDF troops “in two Land Cruisers mounted with Dushka machineguns, and others on about 70 motorcycles” raided the two villages early in the morning of September 2. After shooting 24 villagers, they plundered the houses.

The source contradicted the version of the locality commissioner who said that the attack came from a group of outlaws who were searching for missing livestock.

Referral

Secretary of the defence team, lawyer Kamal Abdallah, told Radio Dabanga on Friday that the authorities in El Abbasiya arrested 15 PDF members accused of being involved in the attacks.

He explained that the defence team requested the judge to refer the case to the Sudanese capital “as we fear friction or worse, renewed attacks.

“We consider the decision to refer the case to Khartoum as a major step to speed up the trial after not much happened since the arrest,” he said.

Abdallah added that the judge directed the transportation of the detainees to the army base in El Abbasiya until the case is transferred to Khartoum.