North Darfur villagers threatened if they do not vote for NCP

Members of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in Saraf Umra locality have threatened to attack villages in the area of Birkat Seira, if the people do not vote for the locality’s NCP candidate.

“NCP candidate Mohamed Ismail, nicknamed El Muhajer, instructed the villagers of Birkat Seira to vote for him,” the coordinator of the Saraf Umra camps for the displaced reported to Radio Dabanga.

He said that the sheikhs of Melisa, Numeira, Ahmed, Ahmed Logli, and Kurkul villages were pressured by “El Muhajer”, supported by elements of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, and militiamen affiliated with former Janjaweed leader Musa Hilal, to convince the people to vote for him.

“The village elders were told that their lands would be occupied, if they would not cooperate. They now began pressuring the villagers.”

The coordinator said that the people should not succumb to such threats, “as these militias will attack them anyhow, whether they cast their vote or not”.