Four protestors killed at march on N. Darfur governor’s house

Police opened fire on protesters on Sunday in El Fasher, killing at least four people. The gunfire occurred during an attempted march on the house of the governor, Mohammed Yussif Kibir, who was earlier said to be sheltering the two masterminds of a Ponzi scheme that has disrupted the markets here. The protesters were angrily demanding recovery of their investments lost in the so-called Mawasir scam. Witnesses said that four people died including students and another 48 were wounded, while other witnesses said the dead and wounded numbered more than that.

More than 1500 demonstrators came chanting toward the governor’s residence, sources told Radio Dabanga. They were halted by the security services who opened fired to stop them from reaching the residence. One person was killed on the spot and some others were wounded. Demonstrators retreated to the big market in the city center after being shot at and sprayed with tear gas. Special forces attacked them there, shooting at random and heavily. Thirty (30) of the 48 wounded are in serious condition including nine university students, according to a worker at the El Fasher hospital. The four people who were shot dead by the security services are Mohammed Adam Arja, Omar Adam Arja and two El Fasher university students Khalid Juma Ahmad and Rashid Ismail.

Protesters gathered at the gate of the El Fasher hospital after the rally. Dozens of relatives of patients at the hospital chanted slogans against the governor of North Darfur and national Justice Minister Abdel Basit Sabdarat. Witnesses said that the police raided this gathering. A police car crashed into one of the protesters in front of the hospital, causing injuries. Radio Dabanga also learnt that security services arrested an uncertain number of young people from different districts of the city of El Fasher. A number of young detainees were seen with their clothes stained with blood and bleeding, and they were transferred from detention to the hospital for treatment.

The Mawasir scam had lured investors with the promise of a high return on goods or cash offered to the scammers. Two NCP politicians, Adam Ismail and Mousa Alsadiq, disappeared when the Ponzi scheme collapsed ahead of the April 11 to 15 election. The two men were both contesting for parliamentary seats. The state prosecutor announced during the polling that Ismail and Alsadiq were wanted in relation to the case and he ordered posters with pictures of the men posted in public places. Last week the state announced that the two men were being held at Shalla Prison in North Darfur but then sources reported that two politicians were instead at the house of the governor. A protest here on Tuesday was broken up by security forces using batons and tear gas. The security prevented the protesters from reaching the house of the governor.

Commerce in the main town of North Darfur state appears to be seriously disrupted due to the market crisis. The market has been closed for four consecutive days. Traders have spoken about a lack of liquidity in the market. Food prices rose sharply in the main market over a period of five days, Radio Dabanga learnt Saturday. Some essential commodities such as meat, vegetables and millet are absent from the market due to suspension of commercial activity in the city. Citizens complained of difficult living conditions and deteriorating economic conditions.

(AP Photo – An army vehicle at the main market of El Fasher, next to a poster of the ruling NCP, on 8 April 2010)