Abu Tira accused of forcing labour

Four women accuse the central reserve police of ordering them to dig a trench, only to fill it back againCentral reserve police, better known as Abu Tira, personnel allegedly detained an unspecified number of women from North Darfur’s Zamzam camp and forced them into labor on Saturday.The guards supposedly ordered the women to dig a trench in the ground after being detained. One of the victims told Radio Dabanga that she had been on her way to collect firewood with other refugees on Saturday morning when Abu Tira personnel stopped them at the southern gate.“The gate was locked and they asked us to dig a trench outside the camp. They later asked us to fill the trench back. We were forced to this from eight am to six pm. They even prevented any refugees from entering the camp after six pm,” she said.The refugee added that this led to a large number of residents being stranded outside the camp on Saturday night.‘Guards fired shots’On the other hand, residents of the camp told Radio Dabanga that Abu Tira forces continued intensive firing with various weapons over the camp from Saturday night until Sunday morning, the morning of Eid Al-Adha.“We spent the night and the morning feast in fear and panic. North Darfuri authorities should put an end to the abuses and violations of the Abu Tira,” he told Radio Dabanga.