Youth association: ‘89 East Darfur tribesmen still in detention’

The youth association of Adila, Abu Karinka and Keleikel Abu Salama says in a statement that 89 people, including 17 headed by the deputy Nazir of the Maaliya, Abdelmanan Mousa Saghiroun, and 38 of the Maaliya and Rizeigat native administrators are still being held in detention “without trial or charge” since their arrest in East Darfur on August 4.

After fierce fighting erupted between Rizeigat and Maaliya tribesmen in East Darfur in July, the authorities started an unprecedented detention campaign against their leaders. Khartoum recently adopted a new, strict policy to end tribal clashes by holding tribal leaders who encourage attacks on the other tribes responsible for their actions.

In addition to the Maaliya and Rizeigat native administrators, other 37 people who were also arrested from Muhajiriya area of Shearia locality in East Darfur on August 6 are still held in prison without trial or charge, the youth association asserts.

The association said among the detainees were a number of teachers including Mohamed Ibrahim , Ahmed Ibrahim, Fadlallah Ahmed, Ahmed Katira, Emad Ahmed, Fayez Ahmed, Ahmed Saad, Hadi Keilani, Yousef El Bushra and Hamed Mohamedi of the Adila education department.

Legal bodies and activists appealed to the government to release the detainees immediately or bring them to trial.