Ten displaced still detained in Central Darfur

Ten of the displaced people, who have been held after speaking to US Special Envoy Donald Booth last month, are still reportedly in detention without charge in Nierteti in Central Darfur.

Activists and witnesses in Nierteti told Radio Dabanga that the security services have released Abdelkarim Adam Abdelkarim of Nierteti North camp, Ahmed Suleiman of camp Garsila, Adam Mohamed Mousa of Nierteti South camp, Ahmed El Tijani Abdeljabbar Yousef of Dar El Naeem district, and Ishag Adam Abdelshafi of Goz Beida district over the past days.

However Adam Hamid Adam, Ahmed Abdallah Omar, Osman Abdelgader Abdelsadeg, Adam Ishag Abdelkarim, Ali Abdelaziz, Adam Siddig Abdallah, Yahya Mohamed Yousef, Abdelrasoul Nasreldin Yousef Abdelrahman, Adam Mohamed Ali, and Rashid Eisa, are all still in detention.

Witnesses confirmed that the security services have neither charged them, nor allowed visits from lawyers or family.

Campaign of detentions

A total of 15 people were detained in a campaign of detentions that began shortly following Booth’s visit. He met with a group of 20 displaced elders, women, and youths in Nierteti, and asked them about their opinion on the ongoing peace process, the Darfur referendum that was held last April, the activities of humanitarian organisations, and the performance of Unamid.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gariballah El Khidir, told reporters on the occasion that the US envoy was interested to speak with people who had fled the recent fighting in Jebel Marra.

A member of the committee informed Radio Dabanga on 27 July that they told Booth about the killings, rapes, detentions, and torture by the government and its militias, and the occupation of their land by new settlers. They further said that Unamid is incapable of protecting itself, “let alone protecting the displaced people”.

Four days after the meeting, five displaced who had met with Booth were detained. On 2 August, the camp coordinator reported that another displaced man was detained. Five others were held last week.