Darfur displaced demos in second day of road disruption

Displaced people from North Darfur’s Zamzam camp established blockades along the road connecting El Fasher and Nyala for the second day in a row since Saturday, in protest against the insecurity in the area and the lack of basic services.

Ahmed Abdelkarim, one of the protesters, told Radio Dabanga that the displaced people’s sit-in will continue until their demands are met. He stated their demands as follows, “the perpetrators of the camp killings be bought to trial, essential health services are provided, and food and water is supplied to the camp residents”.

Abdelkarim explained that Zamzam camp is “in tragic condition due to malnutrition and lack of medicine”, noting that the spread of diarrhoea is rife among children in the camp.

He further ssaid that 13 people were held hostage from the camp earlier this month, of which two were killed and four were wounded, as well as armed groups regularly “raping women and looting property”.

The sit-in has reportedly caused mass disruptions for dozens of cars, tractors, and buses headed for Nyala and El Fasher.

A number of drivers expressed their dissatisfaction with the road closure, calling on the state government to intervene and open the roads.

The North Darfur Security Committee, headed by the state’s governor, Nimir Abdelrahman, held a meeting with the aim of discussing the issues of the displaced people in the Zamzam camp.