Weekend of violent banditry claims five lives in Darfur, North Kordofan

At least five people, including the mother of nine children, were killed, and several more seriously injured, in incidents of violent banditry across Darfur and North Kordofan at the weekend.

Displaced farmer Zahra Khareef (55) was found stabbed to death on her farm west of the South Darfur capital of Nyala on Saturday evening. Witnesses say that the murdered woman, who lived in Kalma Centre 5 camp for the displaced, had returned to work her far west of the city when she was killed.

The victim was buried on Sunday evening in the cemetery of Kalma camp for the displaced in Beleil locality, South Darfur.

Residents of the area told Radio Dabanga that Zahra Khareef is survived by nine children; six girls and three boys.

North Darfur

Three people were killed and six others injured on Sunday evening in an attack by armed men riding camels in the Kerekar area, five kilometres west of Tawila locality in North Darfur. Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that the wounded were taken to a hospital in El Fasher for treatment.

In a separate incident in the Kanjara area north of Tabit on Sunday, Abdelmawla Ismail was wounded in an attack by militants who made off with a large number of livestock and personal property.

Central Darfur

Two displaced people were seriously injured on Sunday when gunmen opened fire on a tuk-tuk rickshaw on the road between Kajali and Salgoub in Azum locality, Central Darfur. Witnesses said that the injured are Idris Omar (57) and Abbas Osman (18).

North Kordofan

In North Kordofan, a person was killed by gunfire and a water point was destroyed by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) by masked gunmen in El Duyma area in Sodre in North Kordofan on Sunday.