Violence in West Kordofan, impunity for perpetrators said to be Al Bashir-affiliates

A soldier and a young woman were shot dead in El Nehoud locality, West Kordofan, yesterday. The incident drew widespread condemnation and demands to dismiss the local police chief. Locals say the incident is related to recent violence by Omar Al Bashir allies.

A soldier and a young woman were shot dead by unknown assailants in En Nehoud, the locality’s capital town, yesterday. The incident drew widespread condemnation and demands to dismiss the town’s police chief.

Various listeners told Radio Dabanga that unknown gunmen shot a military intelligence officer and a woman dead in the southern part of En Nehoud on Wednesday evening.

The sources said that the attack is related to the violence the town witnessed in the past days.

They strongly criticised the silence of the police regarding the attacks and therefore called for the dismissal of the police chief.

En Nehoud violence

Salah Mohamedi told Radio Dabanga that a group of masked men carrying Kalashnikovs and sticks stormed El Nehoud Hospital on Tuesday and severely beat one of the doctors on duty in the emergency department. They also terrorised the staff and patients in the wards before robbing them.

Mohamedi explained that the attackers are affiliated with the ousted regime of Omar Al Bashir and aim to create confusion and intimidate the people in the town.

He said that the perpetrators are known to the authorities but that they are able to repeat their crimes with impunity.

In another incident in En Nehoud, 'outlaws' severely beat up a policeman on Wednesday.

Eyewitnesses told Radio Dabanga that policeman Ali Atiyatallah was arresting one of the suspects inside the El Salam Club. His companions beat the policeman with sticks until he lost consciousness.

Muglad incident

In the West Kordofan town of Muglad, in Abyei-Muglad locality, trader Ahmed Wadelsheikh was shot on Tuesday.

Salah Mohamedi told Radio Dabanga that three gunmen stormed the ice factory owned by Wadelsheikh and beat up one of the workers with their rifle butts. They then stormed the office of Wadelsheikh.

A firefight took place, and the factory owner was shot in the leg. The attackers fled.

South Kordofan protest

Angry people in Habila, South Kordofan, staged a protest march yesterday to denounce an attack by gunmen on the local police chief on Monday.

Mubarak Abukalam explained to Radio Dabanga that the police chief contributed greatly to the extension of security in the locality, making him a problem for some outlaws.

The police chief of Habila was ambushed by a group of gunmen while he was returning from Delling on Monday. The police force accompanying the chief managed to ward off the gunmen, which led to his survival. The attackers escaped.