UN and AU Commission heads condemn North Darfur killings

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, condemn Monday’s attacks by armed groups on a Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp and the shooting at a nearby market in Sortony, North Darfur.

The attacks resulted in the killing of five people, including two children and the wounding of several individuals, including a peacekeeper from Ethiopia serving with Unamid.

In a joint statement today, Dlamini-Zuma and Ban express their serious concern over the recent escalation of tensions between nomadic and IDP communities in the area. They call on them to refrain from acts of violence and resolve their disputes through dialogue. They urge the Sudanese authorities to investigate and promptly bring the perpetrators of these attacks to justice.

The Chairperson and the Secretary General underscore that the continued implementation of UNAMID's mandate is imperative to maintain security and protect civilians across Darfur, including those displaced as a result of the most recent fighting in Jebel Marra between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid.

The Chairperson and the Secretary-General urge all parties to the conflict in Darfur to resume negotiations without further delay, under the auspices of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel for Sudan and South Sudan (AUHIP), with a view to achieving a comprehensive political solution that addresses the root causes of the conflict.

Raid

As previously reported by Radio Dabanga, witnesses said that militiamen, driving three vehicles mounted with Dushka machineguns and others on camels and horses, attacked the eastern side of Sortony at 6pm on Monday. They seized a number of cows from the camp residents, claiming that the animals belong to them.

According to the witnesses, six people were killed during the attacks: Abdelnasser Osman Adam, Sadig Mohamed Abaker, Abdallah Abaker Ali Abdelsalam, two children, and one unidentified person who later succumbed to injuries.

The attackers wounded Ahmed Adam, Sadig Atim Rahma, Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed, Fadil Ibrahim Abdallah and her brother Jaranebi Ibrahim Abdallah. A witness reported to this station that members of the militia raped two women aged 19 and 20 during the raid east of Sortony.

A Unamid patrol passes between displaced people at Sortony in North Darfur (May 2016) (Mohamad Almahady / Unamid).