Three children killed in missile attack in Darfur’s Nierteti

Three children were killed south of Golo town in Central Darfur state in a missile attack by government forces on Wednesday. One of the relatives of the dead child herders told Radio Dabanga that a military convoy consisting of over 100 vehicles was on its way from Nierteti town to Golo, when they launched Katyusha rockets, mortars, and missiles into the air at about 3 pm. This resulted in the death of 8-year-old Yousuf Mohamad Yousuf, 7-year-old Abdamola Ishag, and 12-year-old Kubra Yahya Saleh. Tens of their cattle died as well, and vast areas of pastoral lands were burned. Militiamen threaten town residentsPro-government militiamen threatened on Wednesday evening to burn Gorne village, north west of Nierteti, if the residents do not return the tires of a vehicle which they claim have been stolen from them. One of the residents of the village told Radio Dabanga that the men looted a commercial Land Cruiser while it was on its way from Nyala to Kabkabiya. “They offloaded it and then withdrew, leaving it near the village without its tires.” The witness added that the pro-government militiamen threatened the people to burn the village unless they hand over the offenders, and pay them a compensation for the stolen tires. The vehicle driver, however, said that it was a militiaman who had stolen the vehicle. The witness demanded the authorities to intervene to protect them. File photo: Children look at mortar leftover after attack in Mellit, North Darfur (Unamid) Related: Darfur displaced shot dead on Nierteti road (9 May 2014)