‘20,000 weapons in hands of South Darfur citizens, children’: Police Chief

The Chief of Police for South Darfur, has estimated that there are 20,000 weapons (firearms) in civilian hands in the state, and says he has even seen children carrying Kalashnikovs. At a press conference in South Darfur capital Nyala on Friday, Major General Ahmed Osman Mohamed Khair that just on Thursday, he saw children carrying assault rifles. Gen Khair said that the losses that occurred as a result of recent clashes between security forces and Central Reserve Forces (Abu Tira) in Nyala amounted to four dead and five wounded, including Abu Tira leader Takrom and his driver. The General said that material losses amounted to SDG98.000 ($22,000), and the total losses by organisations and companies SDG195,000 ($44,000). Osman said that there were 739 incidents of crime in the state in just two months , namely July and August, including eight kidnappings, 21 murders, and 105 armed robberies. He attributed the crime increase to “the spread of alcohol , weapons and unemployment among young people,” calling for a plan from the Khartoum regime to collect arms from the citizens. On the same topic, a member of the security forces was killed Thursday evening in the city of Nyala during a clash between Sudanese regular forces and government militiamen. Witnesses told Radio Dabanga the clash and the pursuit began from the Al Jambouria District neighbourhoods north of Nyala. Both sides reportedly used machine gun fire, which caused panic among the population. The witness pointed out that this is the fifth incident of its kind in four days, saying the criminal gangs are active so that there is no sense of safety and security within the city. File photo: An AK-47 (Avtomat Kalashnikov 1947) assault rifle (detail from photo by Albert González Farran/UNAMID) Related: ICC indictee Ali Kushayb critically injured in attack in Nyala, South Darfur (7 July 2013) South Darfur Governor imposes new measures following Nyala violence (7 July 2013)