Darfur crime overview: Travellers robbed in Tawila, Nierteti

An overview of recent crimes that were committed in the Darfur region and reported to Radio Dabanga.

North Darfur

A victim of an armed robbery in Tawila locality on Tuesday, 27 October, told Radio Dabanga that militiamen, riding camels, ambushed a group of people who were on their way from Mursal to Tawila.

“They beat us with sticks and whips, before robbing us of our belongings,” Yahya Ibrahim said. “They took SDG700 ($114) from me, a watch worth SDG180 ($29), and some cooking utensils. My companion was robbed of SDG 1.500 ($244).”

Ibrahim apologised for not being able to report more, “as the people fled in all directions”. He added that another group was assaulted by armed robbers near Khartoum Jadeed, south of Tawila. They lost their money, mobile phones, and 34 goats.

On Thursday 29 October, a large group of gunmen plundered the market of Katur in Tawila locality. A passer-by sustained serious bullet wounds. “They took all the commodities from the shops, such as foodstuffs, clothes, shoes, and other goods, and loaded them on their camels,” an affected shop owner said.

Later that day, about 25 men in military uniforms robbed the inhabitants of pastoralists' settlements north of Katur of all their belongings.

Central Darfur

Armed robbers abducted a lorry owner in Central Darfur on Friday. Two gunmen driving motorcycles intercepted a passenger lorry in Wadi Milgo on the Nierteti-Zalingei road on Friday morning.

“They fired at the lorry, forcing the owner to stop, and after which they told us, at gunpoint, to disembark,” a passenger told Radio Dabanga. “They then beat us, and stole our money, mobile phones, and all our luggage.” He said that they took the lorry owner with them to an unknown destination.

A number of residents of Nierteti locality were beaten by militiamen on Sunday and Monday (24 and 25 October). Pro-government militiamen assaulted and robbed people who were on their way to their farms or to gather firewood and straw in areas south of Nierteti.

Another witness told Radio Dabanga that militiamen occupied the water wells near Nierteti hospital on Monday, and beat a couple of people who arrived there with water tanks.