Violence in West Darfur capital leaves three dead

At least three people were killed and others wounded in clashes that broke out in one of the residential districts of El Geneina, capital of West Darfur, on Sunday. A group of gunmen attacked the sit-in of Misterei in Beida in the state on Friday. 17 people were injured.

No clear reason has yet emerged for the fighting that erupted in El Jebel district in El Geneina on Sunday. The shooting caused great panic among the town’s residents before army forces intervened and contained the situation.

The Governor of West Darfur, Maj Gen Rabee Abdallah reported in the evening that the situation was under control “thanks to the rapid deployment of regular forces”.

He strongly criticised the proliferation of weapons in residential areas.

Member of one of the Resistance Committees active in the town districts and villages in West Darfur Ammar Ibrahim reported that 17 people were injured on Friday, when a group of gunmen attacked the sit-in of Misterei.

“The attack took place on the 11^th day of the sit-in, just after a delegation of the Beida Resistance Committees Coordination had met with the governor,” he said.

“The governor agreed to protect the agricultural season, disarm the militiamen in the region, replace the security committee of the Misterei Administrative Unit, arrest corrupt civil servants affiliated with the former regime, and provide basic services including clean drinking water, electricity, asphalted roads, and better health care in the area.”

The governor further told them that most of the demands of the people in Sudan are legitimate. “He said however that this needs a broad dialogue instead of protest sit-ins”.

The source also reported that a group of gunmen riding on motorcycles attacked and destroyed a number of buildings in Beida on Saturday.

“The militiamen raided the market first. They then stormed the office of the Beida Resistance Committees, the house of the former commissioner, and the Beida Language and Science Institute, and threatened people on the streets.

“The militiamen managed to control the entire market, as the authorities did not intervene,” he said.

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