Unamid visit bombed areas of East Jebel Marra, Darfur
A convoy from Unamid visited the East Jebel Marra region on Tuesday, for the first time after an absence of four years. Residents say that the peacekeepers visited villages, and took pictures of the damage that has been done to the region. Several residents of East Jebel Marra told Radio Dabanga that the convoy consisted of about 45 vehicles. It arrived at 1 pm from Shangil Tobaya, about 60 km south of El Fasher city, on Tuesday, and stayed for three hours. The convoy moved back to the Unamid base in Shangil Tobaya at 4 pm. The witnesses revealed that the Unamid elements visited Dolma, Sharafa, Tangarara, and Um Meda during their three-hour stay. They met with people there, “who are still living under the shade of trees after seven months of displacement”, a witness said. The peacekeepers took pictures of burned villages, graves of people killed by bombardments and militias, unexploded remnants of war, and areas shelled by the Sudanese Air Force along the way. The residents told the peacekeepers about the murders, rapes, attacks, robberies, and burning of villages in East Jebel Marra at the hands of government-supported militias. They pointed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by the Sudanese security service, in particular. People also complained about the Sudanese authorities blocking the region’s economy, for example the road blockades that hinder the transport of commodities and medicines. The listeners further said that the Unamid elements told them that they are aware of what is happening in the region. “They said that the authorities prevented them from visiting the region. “The last visit by the peacekeeping mission here was in 2010, when Scott Gration was the US Special Envoy to Sudan,” a listener said. File photo: Unamid escorts World Food Programme convoy in Darfur (Unamid) Related: West Darfur residents urge Unamid to defuse UXOs (30 September 2014) Rapes, aerial bombardments in Darfur’s East Jebel Marra (23 September 2014) Children burned to death in attack in East Jebel Marra, Darfur (14 September 2014)
A convoy from Unamid visited the East Jebel Marra region on Tuesday, for the first time after an absence of four years. Residents say that the peacekeepers visited villages, and took pictures of the damage that has been done to the region.
Several residents of East Jebel Marra told Radio Dabanga that the convoy consisted of about 45 vehicles. It arrived at 1 pm from Shangil Tobaya, about 60 km south of El Fasher city, on Tuesday, and stayed for three hours. The convoy moved back to the Unamid base in Shangil Tobaya at 4 pm.
The witnesses revealed that the Unamid elements visited Dolma, Sharafa, Tangarara, and Um Meda during their three-hour stay. They met with people there, “who are still living under the shade of trees after seven months of displacement”, a witness said. The peacekeepers took pictures of burned villages, graves of people killed by bombardments and militias, unexploded remnants of war, and areas shelled by the Sudanese Air Force along the way.
The residents told the peacekeepers about the murders, rapes, attacks, robberies, and burning of villages in East Jebel Marra at the hands of government-supported militias. They pointed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by the Sudanese security service, in particular. People also complained about the Sudanese authorities blocking the region’s economy, for example the road blockades that hinder the transport of commodities and medicines.
The listeners further said that the Unamid elements told them that they are aware of what is happening in the region. “They said that the authorities prevented them from visiting the region.
“The last visit by the peacekeeping mission here was in 2010, when Scott Gration was the US Special Envoy to Sudan,” a listener said.
File photo: Unamid escorts World Food Programme convoy in Darfur (Unamid)
Related:
West Darfur residents urge Unamid to defuse UXOs (30 September 2014)
Rapes, aerial bombardments in Darfur’s East Jebel Marra (23 September 2014)
Children burned to death in attack in East Jebel Marra, Darfur (14 September 2014)
and then