Two consecutive days of attacks by pro-government militia in N Darfur

Pro-government militia attacked the city of Mellit, North Darfur on Tuesday and Wednesday. According to witnesses, dozens were killed and injured and the city’s market was burned to the ground.Witnesses informed Radio Dabanga a pro-government militia attacked the Mellit market on Tuesday and that they fired intensively in the air in front of the security services. Witnesses added that citizens fled to the police station for protection, but that neither the police nor the security forces did anything about the attacks. Sources informed Radio Dabanga that the same pro-government militia attacked Mellit on Wednesday, between 11am and 5pm. They said that three persons were killed during attacks in the last two days and 17 were injured. They added people present at the market during the attack were beaten and looted and the militia also raided and plundered Mellit’s market and burned it to the ground. Witnesses said that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the police intervened and expelled the militia from the city, in order to protect government property. Onlookers informed Radio Dabanga that Ibrahim Mohammed Ali, Isaac and Al Mastour were killed and that the injured were brought to the Mellit Hospital for treatment. An indigenous leader from Mellit told Radio Dabanga that last week the same pro-government miltia killed Ahmed Ibrahim, Tirab Musa and Yassin Abdul Rahman Omar and wounded his sister. He said that Ahmed Ibrahim was dragged on the streets and his limbs, eyes, nose and ears were cut off. The leader wants to hand over a memorandum to the commissioner of Mellit in the coming days requesting him to send patrols to protect the citizens and to condemn the militia attacks.