Sudan: Farmer shot dead near Kadugli

On April 6, a Nuba farmer was killed by unknown men near Kadugli, capital of South Kordofan. The case was filed at the Kadugli police, but no further investigations were done.

The Sudanese Human Rights and Development Organisation (HUDO) reported on Wednesday that Sheikheldin El Mangour (42) was collecting wood for making a charcoal in the Miri forest, west of Kadugli, together with other two farmers.

“Suddenly, the two farmers heard gunshots at the side where Mr El Mangour was working. They rushed towards his side only to find him dead with two bullet wounds (in his head and his back),” the report reads.

They traced the footsteps of the assailants to see what direction they took, and reported the murder case to the police of Kadugli.

The body was taken to the Kadugli Teaching Hospital for a post-mortem, after which it was buried by the victim’s relatives. Since then, no further investigation has been carried out by police.

HUDO states it is very concerned about the security situation and the safety of civilians in conflict areas and calls upon the Sudanese government to hold the South Kordofan police accountable for misconduct, and address the insecurity in the Nuba Mountains by dissolving the government militias and disarming people who carry unlicensed firearms.

Residents of Kadugli have been complaining about rampant insecurity in the town and surroundings since last year.  

In January, hundreds of people participated in a demonstration in Kadugli to protest against the deteriorating security in the state after an increase in killings, robberies, and pundering. That month, the governor of South Kordofan, Hamid El Bashir, imposed a number of measures in Kadugli in an attempt to contain the violence in the area.