Darfur Bar demands Sudan’s Election Commission to investigate murder

The Darfur Bar Association (DBA) has called on the National Election Commission (NEC) to investigate the murder of an administrative official of Otash camp for the displaced in South Darfur on 30 March. The Bar claims that the crime is related to the general election, scheduled to begin on 13 April.

Sheikh Ahmed Idris, head of Otash camp Centre 1, was shot inside his shelter at the camp last Monday by three militiamen wearing uniforms. He died later of his injuries.

In a statement on Monday, the Bar demanded the NEC to take the necessary steps to “prompt the judicial organs to prevent impunity, bring the perpetrators to justice, and take precautionary measures to prevent the recurrence of such crimes”. 

According to the Darfur lawyers, the killing of the sheikh was meant to intimidate the residents of the camp Otash, and prevent them from criticising the electoral process. In an inquiry into the killing, the Bar found that the “elements that carried out the ugly assassination are supporting the ruling party and the general election”.

“Affiliates of the ruling regime have intimidated and threatened to kill Sheikh Idris several times, because he had expressed his doubts about the fairness of the electoral process”. Idris was also accused of inciting the Otash camp displaced not to vote.

The Bar stresses that the murder of the sheikh “has exposed the violent means by supporters of the current regime to force the camp residents to take part in the election – which undermine the integrity of the electoral process, and the constitutional right of expression, and constitute a violation of the National Election Act”.