West Darfur doctors warn of more bloody violence

The West Darfur Doctors Committee warned of continuing bloody violence in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, since its outbreak in the night of April 3, despite slight improvements in the overall security situation.

In a statement yesterday, the doctors committee reported that the number of deaths documented by the committee since the start of the violence had risen to 137. The number of injured people had risen to 221.

The injured are receiving medical care at both the El Geneina Teaching Hospital and the Military Hospital under the supervision of local medical teams. They are supported by Sudanese Red Crescent* volunteers, who are still playing an important role in assisting victims in and outside hospitals.

The committee stated that it continues to coordinate with government agencies to find a solution for the wounded who need advanced surgical interventions. The severely injured could be evacuated to Khartoum or the government could send specialised medical teams, equipped with the necessary devices and tools, to El Geneina.

Of the 28 seriously injured patients, 18 need orthopaedical treatment, nine need neurosurgeries, and one needs plastic surgery. Access to supply warehouses remains difficult at the moment and the situation is likely to worsen as most reserves of pharmaceutical items are depleted.

Conflict

Yesterday, Radio Dabanga reported that the shooting in El Geneina itself had stopped but that the violence, plundering, and torching of buildings continued in the peripheral neighbourhoods. The wali (governor) of West Darfur described the situation as ‘stable to some extent’.

Wali Mohamed El Doma explained that the attackers belong to ‘well-known militias’ affiliated with the former regime of dictator Omar Al Bashir.

Darfur has a long history of strife between often Arab herding tribes and non-Arab African herders or sedentary farmers, which were exploited by the previous regime of dictator Al Bashir who supported the Janjaweed militia that carried out many attacks on farmers. 

* The Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) is the most widespread humanitarian organisation operating in Sudan. The society was established in 1956 and developed out of the Sudan branch of the British Red Cross Society.