Calm restored in Nyala; governor blamed for South Darfur killings

After a day of demonstrations quelled by police forces killing at least five citizens, the situation in Nyala remained calm on Friday after the prayers. The people left the mosques immediately returning to their homes before a curfew started that has been imposed between 7pm and 7am. Radio Dabanga has detailed reports about how the government started to disperse a mass-demonstration following the funeral of the El Merreikh Nyala football president. On the way from the cemetery towards the governors offices, a senior politician witnessed that participants in the demonstration asked for permission to move towards the ministerial buildings. According to various eyewitnesses not one single demonstrator was carrying guns, entirely dismissing the accusations made by the South Darfur governor Adam Mahmoud Jar Al Nabi, who suggested that rebels were involved in the uprising.“The governor makes the situation even worse by defending himself and blaming some rebels who never were at the scene. How can a man who is responsible to protect the people in Nyala allow an armed rebel-movement to enter our city and entering his compound? With this argument he proves his incompetence”, lawyer Adam Sharif, member of the Darfur Bar Association told Radio Dabanga. He adds that Nyala has become the most insecure place in Darfur. In the evening after prayer, people are worried to be robbed. He is amongst scores of witnesses who ensured Radio Dabanga that nobody of the protesters carried a weapon or even a stick. Video footage shows no signs of any violent act by the crowd, only policemen starting to whip the demonstrators randomnly.After the governor on Thursday tried to explain that the killing of Ishmael Ibrahim Wadi, who was leading the main soccer club of Nyala, was ‘only an incident’ and that he could not blamed for it, the crowd started chanting slogans stating: ‘The people want the government to go out’. Suddenly police started to beat people with sticks and began shooting in the air. Later it added teargas to disperse the demonstration. But instead of leaving, the crowd became outraged and moved closer to the building, first putting a fire under the governors car. After several cars started burning some buildings were set ablaze. Seventh killing in Nyala “It started as a peaceful demonstration of the people of Nyala against a governor, the police and security started to provoke the people by shooting in the air and then they responded back with burning their cars and buildings. It is only the government to blame, nobody else”, secretary-general of the Umma party In South Darfur, Al Hafiz Ahmed Omar says. All politicians speaking to Radio Dabanga are deeply worried about the attitude of the governor, especially afterwards the incident. Adam Sharif: “The killing of Ishmael Ibrahim Wadi was the seventh killing in a very short time inside Nyala. This businessman was liked by all people because of his generosity towards the poor. We all know that he was killed not by accident, but in a planned attack by militias armed by the government. The only possibility to restore security and to protect the people is to disarm these pro government militias. The governor refuses to do so. That means these killings will continue. For that reason all the people of Nyala, regardless their tribe or political stand, want this government to go away. That is what they were shouting. If you can not provide security in our state, in our street and not even in my house, you should go, immediately”. Shooting in Nyala hospital Abdel Al Douma, secretary-general of the Popular Congress Party in South Darfur narrated how he took part in the demonstration: “It went very peacefully and without any weapons. We walked all together from the cemetery to the center. I was completely stunned to see the armored cars shooting rounds of machine artillery in the air and policemen shooting the people. One of these policemen came even to the emergency warden of the Nyala hospital. He started shooting through the ceiling. Can you imagine, someone threw teargas inside the hospital theater, while patients were in surgery. The hospital management should complain bitterly about this behaviour”. Lawyer Adam Sharif says that the killings by police bullets should be thoroughly investigated. Radio Dabanga reported the death of five people, known as Al Zaki Alhadi Mursal (13), Hassan Zakaria (trader), Al Hadi Busra, Wali Aldin Abdallah and Mohamed Zakaria. Government officials only confirmed the death of two people. At least 48 people were seriously injured and went to the hospital for treatment.Pictures: Rado Dabanga/Sudan Tribune