South Kordofan witnesses more lawlessness as security forces assault civilians and prisoners escape

South Kordofan witnessed more lawlessness in the past week as security forces assaulted people in Abbasiya town, an intelligence officer and his son were murdered on their farm northeast of Kadugli, and four convicts escaped from Rashad prison.

Members of a joint security force wreaked havoc in Abbasiya in South Kordofan yesterday, assaulting and attacking local people.

Activists from Abbasiya town told Radio Dabanga that the attacks included beating and shaving the hair of young men in the markets and tearing clothes of young women.

They explained that there is a widespread condemnation of the attacks among the people living in Abbasiya and said that they describe the actions as barbaric.

The sources said that the members of the security force are affiliated with one of the rebel movements that signed the Juba Peace Agreement with the Sudanese government in October 2020.

They explained that these forces were brought from Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, during the violence that erupted in Abu Jubeiha and were deployed in Abbasiya for the June 30 demonstrations. They demanded the authorities to immediately remove them from the town.

Intelligence murder

A Military Intelligence officer and his son were killed by unknown assailants at a farm northeast of Kadugli, capital of South Kordofan, on Saturday.

Radio Dabanga sources reported that an armed group attacked the officer and his son (20) at gunpoint while they were working inside their farm. The two were kidnapped before being murdered in a place further away from their farm.

The sources suggested that the incident was related to the recent events that took place in Kadugli in June, which resulted in deaths and injuries.

Prison escape

Four convicts, including one who was sentenced to death, escaped from Rashad prison in South Kordofan last Wednesday.

Radio Dabanga sources reported that the defendants escaped during daylight hours and that one of the escaped prisoners was a person sentenced to death and who was scheduled to be transferred to El Obeid Prison in North Kordofan two days later.

The fugitives also included a person accused of premeditated murder in Abbasiya last year.

The two others, accused of ordinary crimes, were detained again and returned to prison. The whereabouts of the two accused of more serious crimes seemingly remain unknown.

The sources noted that the escaping process is suspicious, especially since they escaped during daylight hours, and pointed out that Rashad Prison, where 240 prisoners are housed, is overcrowded.

The sources said that Rashad prison witnesses frequent escapes, the last of which was only months ago, including escapes of those sentenced to death for serious crimes.