‘Four shot dead in Central Darfur camp protests’: Coordinator

Four people were reportedly killed and 44 others injured over the weekend when security forces shot at protesters in the Hasahisa camp in Zalingei in Central Darfur. According to the Commissioner of Zalingei, only one camp resident was killed, in a clash with the police.

“The problems started after a group of militiamen raided the Hasahisa camp market on Friday,” El Shafee Abdallah, Coordinator of the Central Darfur camps for the displaced told Radio Dabanga.

“Camp residents managed to seize one of the militiamen. Four people were wounded during the skirmish. In response, the displaced in the camp staged a protest march against the rampant insecurity in the area.

“Security forces and militiamen responded to the march by shooting at the crowd. Abdelshafee Ishag Eisa and Sheima Abdeljabbar were fatally hit. 29 others were injured.

On Saturday morning, members of the militia set fire to the engines supplying water from Wadi Azum to the camp, which led the people to protest again.

“This time, Adam Rahma Abdallah and Abdallah Jibril Abakar were shot dead. 15 other protesters sustained bullet wounds.”

The camp coordinator described the situation in the camp on Sunday as “very tense”. Militiamen and security forces are still stationed near the camp.

‘Clash’

The Commissioner of Zalingei, a police colonel, reported in a press conference on Sunday that fighting broke out after a policeman clashed with a displaced young woman at the market of Telulo on Firday.

The family of the woman allegedly seized the policeman and took him to the Hasahisa camp prison, which prompted his colleagues to gather in front of the camp entrance, demanding his release.

As the camp residents refused to release him, the police used batons to break their insistence. The displaced responded by throwing stones. One camp resident was killed, and 26 people sustained minor injuries, 20 of them recovered the same day.

The Commissioner further pointed to a gunfight that reportedly broke out on Saturday between displaced and youths of the district adjacent to the camp.

Calm

Central Darfur Minister of Social Affairs and Information, Nada Ali Amin, reported on Sunday that calm had returned to the area after the police intervened to end the violence between the parties.

The soldier was released from the camp. Most of the wounded were discharged from the hospital, she said. The five damaged water engines at Azum Valley owned by people living in the area are being repaired by engineers from the state Ministry of Urban Planning.