East Darfur/West Kordofan
(Reports also in South Darfur)
Darfur: Farmer killed, pupils robbed
February 21 – 2017 BILEIL / KUTUM / ED DAEIN
A farmer was killed and two others were abducted in Bileil locality in South Darfur, during a clash between farmers and herders. School children were robbed during class in a camp in Kutum.
As the farmer and his sister returned from working on their lands in Ashma, two herders attacked them, a relative of the victims reported to Radio Dabanga. The man managed to stab one of the assailants before the other shot him.
A group of locals traced the perpetrators, seized them and handed them over to the police in Bileil. The family member said that herders have abducted two other farmers from Ashma in retaliation of the arrests.
Pupils beaten
A number of students in the camp for dispalced people Kassab, in North Darfur’s Kutum locality, were injured after they were beaten and robbed of their mobile phones by armed men during class on Sunday. The children were revising their lessons, a camp sheikh told Radio Dabanga, when militiamen on camels arrived and started abusing the children. “They also beat a number of displaced people who went out of Kassab camp to collect straw and firewood.”
Road robbery
Gunmen attacked a commercial truck from Omdurman to Ed Daein in East Darfur and seriously wounded two people on Sunday. The truck driver, Adam Juma, told this station from the hospital in Ed Daein that four gunmen stopped him at gunpoint on the outskirts of Ed Daein.
“They took me and the passengers of the truck out and down on the ground, and stripped us from our money, mobile phones and luggage.” Juma and another passenger were then shot. The attackers left the scene and the injured were taken to the hospital.
Abu Karinka in East Darfur calm after 12 farmers die in clashes
February 22 – 2017 ABU KARINKA
The situation in El Nair village in East Darfur has ‘returned to normal’ after 12 farmers from the village were slain, and 19 more wounded in clashes with armed herdsmen.
Osman Gasim, the Commissioner of Abu Karinka locality in East Darfur said that the clashes broke out on Sunday and Monday between the farmers and armed herdsmen who entered their livestock onto the villagers’ farms.
Commissioner Gasim says that “the buffer force in the area intervened and separated the two sides. Intervention by the authorities and native administrations contained problem.”
Leaders and notables of various localities in North Darfur have demanded the need to strengthen security and extension of the prestige of the state and the rule of law so as to put an end to the activities of the outlaws who still terrorise the people of the state.
The localities in the meetings with the committees of the Legislative Council have demanded the need to remove the courts, random gates of some areas and roads, reduction of human trafficking and drug activity, alcohol and control of the borders with neighbouring countries.
The localities have also demanded the establishment of conferences for social reconciliation and peaceful coexistence in North Darfur.
The residents of those localities have complained of the weakness of basic services, especially health, education and water.
Inmate killed in East Darfur prison riot
March 3 – 2017 ED DAEIN
One prisoner was killed and two others seriously injured in violence that erupted between inmates and police in the prison of Ed Daein, the capital of East Darfur, on Wednesday.
The incident took place when state authorities attempted to transfer a group of inmates from the prison to Nyala prison in South Darfur. Radio Dabanga was informed by sources that the group consisted of about 150 prisoners.
The prison has been the scene of jailbreak in the past. Residents of Ed Daein demanded the prison to move from downtown to elsewhere after a number of inmates escaped in June last year.
The state Minister of Information, El Hadi Burma Saleh, released a press statement about the prison riot. He said that inmate Abdallah Ismail Ambeddi was killed and seven others were wounded; two of them with sustained serious wounds.
The statement reads that one of the inmates, with the help of others, stripped the security guards of three weapons and exchanged fire with police before the situation was under control.
East Darfur Omda arrested after tensions
March 17 – 2017 ABU KARINKA
The Sudanese security service in Abu Karinka locality, East Darfur, detained a prominent community leader and a woman after local youth started an argument with members of Sudan’s military force.
Omda Humeida Numan, Fatima Abdallah and Ismail Kalol were arrested when the Sudanese military were unable to arrest the youth who argued with soldiers on Thursday.
A lawyer has objected to the detention of the three, on the grounds that the Sudanese constitution states to notify each person upon his or her arrest of the reasons. Osman Mohamed Ahmed also told Radio Dabanga that activists in the area warned people of “the explosive situation” following the arrests, and called on local authorities to release the detainees.
Detention period
Following a set of draft constitutional amendments concerning the powers of the security service, Sudan’s Deputy Chief Justice Abdulmajid Idris spoke out against the “ongoing arbitrary arrests by the NISS”, and criticised the long periods of detention without trial.
The National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) carries powers of arrest and detention of people for up to four and a half months without judicial review, an aspect to which NISS leaders recently did not object to reduce the period.
Sudan Tribune
Policeman killed, 6 injured by unknown gunmen in East Darfur
March 25, 2017 (ED-DAEIN) – A police officer has been killed and six others injured in clashes with unidentified gunmen in the locality of Asalaya, some 60 kilometres west of Ed-Daein, East Darfur state capital. An eyewitness told Sudan Tribune Saturday the clashes occurred in the Kilaikil area in the locality of Asalaya after police launched a campaign against the negative phenomenon in the area. “While the police were returning to their units after the campaign, they were shot at by gunmen on motorcycle,” he said
Commissioner of Asalaya Mohamed Zein Ibrahim told Sudan Tribune that the situation is under full control, pointing the security apparatus is still pursuing the perpetrators. He added the area is safe and the campaign was launched to enforce the law and eliminate negative phenomena. Security conditions in East Darfur have recently witnessed remarkable improvement following fierce clashes between Ma’alia and Rizeigat tribes that claimed dozens of lives.
East Darfur: 16 killed in militia-army clash
March 27 – 2017 ED DAEIN / NYALA
Seventeen people were killed in two separate clashes involving soldiers and militiamen near Ed Daein in East Darfur on Friday and Saturday. Security authorities reported to have defused tensions from further escalating.
On Friday, policemen exchanged gunfire with three armed youth on motorcycles in Kamal area, 25km west of Ed Daein. The police, driving a vehicle, shot one of the youth and killed him.
The bodies of 16 dead army and police personnel were returned to Ed Daein on Sunday, along with seven wounded soldiers, after a clash with gunmen in Katwa Auja 30km west of the state capital.
Following the incident, the state’s security committee held a meeting and ordered the deployment of a joint military and police force, on board 13 vehicles, to Katwa Auja, where the incident occurred. More details of the fighting have not yet been reported.
A reporter in the region, Khalifa Kushayb, told Radio Dabanga that the situation has become calm after the return of the dead bodies. “Sadness prevails in Ed Daein for the loss of a number of its inhabitants.”
It is worth mentioning that all five states of Darfur have prohibited the use of motorcycles and wearing of masks for the face – called kadmool – in an attempt to reduce theft and assaults by unidentified armed men and groups that are known to use motorcycles.
Hijack
Gunmen hijacked the vehicle of the head of the economic committee of South Darfur, Mustafa El Rabi, from in front of his house in Nyala on Sunday.
A resident of El Wadi district in the city reported that four armed men, wearing military uniforms, drove in a vehicle without plates at the time of the robbery. They took El Rabi’s vehicle under the threat of arms.
East Darfur tribal fighting leaves seven dead
April 9 – 2017 ED DAEIN
Seven tribesmen were killed and four others sustained injuries in clashes between Ma’aliya and Rizeigat in East Darfur on Saturday.
After the East Darfur government deployed buffer forces in the area of El Khamsat where the fighting erupted, an uneasy calm returned to the area, journalists reported to Radio Dabanga.
The fighting was reportedly triggered by the theft of 120 sheep west of Abu Karinka town. Witnesses recounted how a Ma’aliya search party tracked down the sheep near El Khamsat on Saturday. Heavily armed Rizeigat confronted them which led to fierce fighting in which five Rizeigat and two Ma’aliya tribesmen were killed. Four Rizeigat were wounded.
The Governor of East Darfur, Anas Omar Fadlelmoula vowed to put an end to “the crimes of the outlaws and bandits”. He urged “all to cooperate with the regular forces to maintain security and stability, and implement development projects”.
Bloody conflicts over landownership and cattle rustling between the Ma’aliya and the southern Rizeigat in East Darfur go back decades. Peace agreements between the two pastoralist tribes are broken over and over again. The last, comprehensive agreement was signed in August last year. In October, they reached a new reconciliation agreement, facilitated by the UN-AU peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (Unamid). In end October, the Imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca visited the area of El Daein, the stronghold of the southern Rizeigat, and Abu Karinka, the traditional territory of the Ma’aliya, in a bid to reach definite peace between the tribes.
Sudan Tribune
Sudanese army, SLM-MM in fierce fighting in Darfur
May 20, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF) and the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) led by Minni Minnawi have exchanged accusations over renewed fighting in North and East Darfur. In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune Saturday, SAF’s spokesperson Ahmed Khalifa al-Shami pointed out that the armed forces and the security services have been closely monitoring the movements of armed groups “mercenaries” in South Sudan and Libya.
He said these rebel groups have been preparing to “abort peace and stability that have been achieved across Sudan and particularly in Darfur states”, pointing that clashes are still ongoing. “The two groups entered North and East Darfur states from Libya and South Sudan simultaneously but the armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have responded to them and clashes are still ongoing,” he said. A reliable military source in East Darfur told Sudan Tribune that a fierce battle occurred between a faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) led by Minni Minnawi and government forces in the Eshairaya area, some 50 kilometres south-west of Ed-Daein, East Darfur capital.
He added the clashes caused panic among residents of Asalaya locality, saying the government troops responded to a faction that entered from South Sudan and was seeking to reach Jebel Marra. “The government troops forced the rebels to retreat and are still chasing them,” he said. The same source revealed that the government forces had inflicted heavy losses on the rebels, saying 25 rebels have been killed and at least 17 arrested. He added that a number of four-wheel drive vehicles have been seized from the rebels, saying 5 government troops have been killed and 7 others injured and were transferred to Ed-Daein Hospital.
Meanwhile, SLM-MM military spokesperson Ahmed Hussein Mustafa said their forces have been attacked inside areas under the movement’s control in North Darfur, describing the attack as “violation of the ceasefire”. “In a clear violation of the ceasefire from the government side, an administrative patrol of the SLM-MM has been intercepted by the government troops and the latter initiated the shooting,” he said.
Mustafa added their forces responded to the government attack and inflicted heavy losses on them, saying the attackers fled the scene leaving behind hundreds of dead and wounded.
SLM-MM has recently accused the government of preparing to launch a large attack against its areas, saying it dispatched 150 vehicles loaded with heavy weapons to areas under its control in North Darfur including Wadi Maghrib, Donky Ba’ashim, Hoash, Khaim and Majour. Last week, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo warned those who he called “mercenaries” against seeking to enter Sudan from Libya, hinting at attempts by rebel movements to enter Darfur after acquiring vehicles from Libya. On 12 April, the Sudanese army declared Darfur a region free of rebellion following the capture of Srounq area, the last SLM-AW led by Abdel-Wahid al-Nour stronghold in Jebel Marra. However, the army continued for several months to carry out attacks on rebel pockets in the mountainous area.
(Report also in North Darfur)
Sudanese govt. forces attack Minawi’s SLM rebels in Darfur
May 21 – 2017 DARFUR / KHARTOUM
Fierce fighting erupted between Sudanese government forces and combatants of the Sudan Liberation Movement headed by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) in East and North Darfur on Friday.
According to a statement by Ahmed Khalifa El Shami, spokesman for the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) on Saturday, a joint force of army troops and members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) “confronted armed groups of mercenaries who simultaneously entered North and East Darfur from Libya and South Sudan to undermine peace and stability in Sudan”.
‘Ceasefire violation’
The rebels strongly condemned the attacks. In a statement SLM-MM spokesman Ahmed Hussein Mustafa denounced the “violation of the unilateral Cessation of Hostilities recently declared by both sides”.
He reported that the rebel forces “swiftly repulsed the attacks and inflicted the enemy forces a deserved defeat,” and stated that they “will continue to defend the innocent and helpless civilians who are under constant attack by the government militia”.
In a second statement on Saturday, the SLM-MM reported that the attacks took place in the area “south of the railway in South and East Darfur”, and in the area of Baashim in North Darfur’s Kutum.
The government forces “targeted and burned villages in these areas. They also destroyed water sources, and stole the citizens’ livestock”.
The SLM-MM further reported that the fighting so far caused “large losses to the militias and government forces and massive destruction of government vehicles. In most of these areas, all roads have been blocked to prevent them from escaping”.
According to the rebel spokesman, “These new operations are part of the plan announced by the government and its militias to forcibly displace the people living in these areas, with the aim to carry out demographic changes and replacements [of the original inhabitants]. This is also reflected in the wells that are being drilled in these areas guarded by Rapid Support militiamen”.
Last week, SLM-MM accused the Government of Sudan of preparing a full-scale war against the armed movements in North Darfur.
‘Brutal actions’
The RSF militia as well issued a statement on Saturday, in which reported that “The enemy suffered heavy losses in lives and property. It [the RSF militia] managed to capture a large number of rebels and mercenaries. It seized 20 vehicles with all its equipment, including a fuel tanker, and destroyed a large number of military vehicles belonging to the enemy”.
Spokesman Lt.-Col. Adam Mohamed Saleh further said that the rebel groups in North Darfur fled towards Libya. “Our troops are still chasing them.”
The spokesman said that “Since its inception, the RSF have been closely monitoring the brutal and aggressive actions of the mercenary rebel movements”. He accused the South Sudanese government of supporting the rebels with “logistics and extension of mercenary forces, all with the aim of undermining the security and stability witnessed in Sudan in general and in Darfur in particular”.
‘Mercenaries’
On Saturday, Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Ibrahim Ghandour, met in his office with the ambassadors of the five member states of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the Troika countries (the USA, UK, and Norway), as well as the Ambassador of the European Union to Sudan.
According to a FA statement, the Minister informed them that the Darfuri rebels whom he accused of fighting in Libya and South Sudan as mercenaries, now moved across the borders “with the aim of aborting the peace and stability achieved in Darfur, as has been acknowledged by the UN Security Council as well as the Peace and Security Council of the African Union”.
Ghandour accused the rebel movements of aiming “to drag the government to a military confrontation so as to abort the government of Sudan’s unilateral cessation of hostilities declared more than one-and-half year ago”.
He urged the UNSC member states and the international community to condemn this “hostile attack”.
Sudan Tribune
Darfur groups say they killed 214 government troops in recent clashes
May 21, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan Liberation Movement – Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) and a splinter group from the SLM- Abdel Wahid said they killed 214 government troops in recent clashes in North and East Darfur states on Friday 19 May. In a joint statement, the SLM-MM and the SLM-Transitional Council said the enemy suffered heavy losses in lives and equipment in the battles that extended from the far north of Darfur to south and east Darfur. The enemy lost 214 people of different ranks including the Rapid Support Forces Deputy Commander Hamdan al-Samih, who is also the cousin of SRF commander. he was killed in East Darfur Wadi Hawar battle, added the statement.
The joint statement issued 24 hours after the clashes indicate for the first time the participation of the SLM Transitional Council in the fighting. The group is led by Nimir Abdel Raman a former spokesperson of SLM-AW faction. The SLM-MM and Transitional Council which is not part of any political process signed a coordination agreement in early 2015 but this is the major joint operation against the Sudanese government.
The government and SLM-MM traded accusation following Friday’s clashes of breaching a cessation of hostilities declared unilaterally by the two sides.
(Report also in North Darfur)
‘More than 200 paramilitaries, rebels killed in Darfur fighting’
May 22 – 2017 DARFUR / KHARTOUM
The Sudan Liberation Movement headed by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) claimed the killing of 214 troops of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in East and North Darfur on Saturday. The RSF say they killed the general commander of the rebel movement.
In a press statement on Saturday the SLM-MM reported that government forces attacked rebel convoys in the area “south of the railway in South and East Darfur”, and in the area of Baashim in North Darfur’s Kutum.
Mohamed Hassan, a spokesman for the SLM-MM, told Radio Dabanga on Sunday that the fighting broke out when SLM-MM forces, together with combatants of the SLM faction led by Nimir Abdelrahman, were moving in convoys in East and North Darfur,
“The government RSF militia took advantage of the ceasefire which the movement recently signed unilaterally in the presence of Unamid officials, and intercepted the convoys on Saturday.”
Hassan said that the rebel fighters of the two groups resisted the attacks. “We caused them great losses in lives and equipment. [..] The forces of the two movements managed to kill 214 Rapid Support militiamen, including Brigadier Hamdan El Simeih, tasked with guarding the northern border. Militia leader Ibrahim El Faki was captured. More than 300 wounded militiamen were transferred to the hospitals of El Fasher, Nyala, and the military hospital in Khartoum.”
The rebel spokesman further reported that they lost 15 of their fighters and four vehicles. At least 13 others were injured, and another 18 were taken prisoner. “SLM-MM Commander-in-Chief Juma Mundi went missing. He may have been captured or killed outside the battlefield which then constitutes a war crime.”
Rebel commander killed
The commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan, nicknamed Hemeti, reported the killing of SLM-MM Commander-in-Chief Juma Mundi.
He said that “The Rapid Support Forces, the Sudan Armed Forces, and other security forces have been able to defeat the remnants of the rebels who infiltrated from Libya and South Sudan to North and East Darfur. [..] The enemy has suffered great losses in lives and property, and is still being chased in all directions.”
“Our forces killed Juma Mundi, General Commander of the SLM forces led by Minni Arko Minawi, in addition to a number of others killed or made prisoner. They seized six armoured vehicles and a number of military vehicles. The lists are underway,” the militia commander reported. “The remaining rebels fled to where they came from, to South Sudan and Libya.”
Sudan Vision Daily cites “Informed sources” saying that the rebel combatants coming from South Sudan were driving 63 military vehicles, 45 of which were seized, seven were destroyed, and 11 ones are now being pursued, while the force coming from Libya came aboard 140 vehicles, about 100 of them participated in the fighting, and 50 of them were seized.
‘Annihilated’
The renewed fighting between government forces and rebels on more than one front in Darfur on Saturday triggered widespread reactions in the country and abroad, in particular as the Sudanese government has repeatedly declared that the situation in Darfur has become stable after the armed movements have been annihilated.
“The renewed fighting in Darfur confirmed that the armed conflict is ongoing, contrary to what government circles claim,” Dr Mohamed El Mahdi Hassan, Head of the Political Bureau of the National Umma Party (NUP) commented to Radio Dabanga.
He said that the NUP High Coordination Council will meet on Monday to discuss the developments. “The huge expenses for the war constitute a sensitive issue for the impoverished Sudanese people, as the increased military costs will have a clear impact on their livelihoods. Another important point is that the rebels are not bandits but citizens who have an issue and demands that must be listened to and addressed.”
The Sudanese Congress Party (SCP) as well described the renewed fighting in Darfur as “a confirmation that the war in the region has not yet ended, contrary to what the government has been repeating”.
Khalid Omar, SCP Deputy President told this station that the government has been spreading propaganda about the end of the armed conflicts in Darfur.
“We all know that Khartoum has been lying. The war erupted for obvious and specific reasons, and will not end unless the government addresses the root causes that led to the insurgency.”
He said he does not expect the war to end as long as the grievances have not been addressed.
Rebel commander killed, chief captured in Darfur battles
May 23 – 2017 KHARTOUM / DARFUR
The rebel movements involved in the recent clashes with the Sudanese army in North and East Darfur announced that military commander Mohamed Abdelsalam, known as Tarada, was liquidated. A commander-in-chief and leading members have been captured.
Minni Minawi’s Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) and the SLM-Transitional Council, released a joint statement today about the arrest of the leader of the SLM-TC, Nimir Abdelrahman. Also the military spokesman for Minawi, Ahmed Hussein Mustafa was captured during the battle in Mount Adola on Sunday.
The movements denied earlier news that Commander-in-Chief Juma Mundi was killed, as was reported by the Sudanese paramilitary RSF. Mustafa and Mundi were taken to an unknown destination, according to the statement.
Mohamed Abdelsalam ‘Tarada’, commander of the SLM led by Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW), and a number of prisoners were liquidated by the military intelligence.
“In the second battle in the same area, our comrades fought fiercely and did not give up until they ran out of ammunition. The regime lost a large number of dead,” the statement concluded.
Arrests
North Darfur Popular Defence Forces coordinator Ahmed Adam Abdelgadir also reported the arrest of Nimir Abdelrahman, in addition to Fadul Hussein and Gusta Djamat in Kalimendo locality on Monday.
Meanwhile the commissioner of Taweisha locality, Abakar Adam Ismail, said that they captured two rebel leaders: Amar Omar Ali Koko and Abdallah Mohamed Saleh.
Yesterday the two SLM groups claimed the killing of 214 troops of the RSF in East and North Darfur. “The government RSF militia took advantage of the ceasefire which the movement recently signed unilaterally in the presence of Unamid officials, and intercepted the convoys on Saturday,” the military spokesman for the SLM-MM told Radio Dabanga.
The renewed fighting between government forces and rebels on more than one front in Darfur on Saturday triggered widespread reactions in the country and abroad, in particular as the Sudanese government has repeatedly declared that the situation in Darfur has become stable after the armed movements have been annihilated.
Darfur lawyers decry call to ‘leave rebel bodies in the open’
May 30 – 2017 DARFUR
Lawyers of the Darfur Bar Association condemned a statement by the East Darfur Governor, to leave the bodies of fallen rebel fighters in the open in North and East Darfur’s valleys and ravines. ‘The regime should respect the rights of war hostages.’
Governor Anas Omar Fadlelmoula made a statement in public that encourages people to leave the bodies of those involved in the recent fighting between Sudanese government forces and combatants of holdout rebel movements in North and East Darfur, out in the open for animals and birds. There were reports of large numbers of casualties on both sides.
The Sudan Liberation Movement headed by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) claimed the killing of 214 troops of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in East and North Darfur on 20 May, while the RSF, the Sudan Armed Forces, and other security forces claimed to have defeated “the remnants of the rebels”.
In his speech on 22 May, Governor Fadlelmoula said that leaving the bodies is “a natural end to those who reject peace. If they had opted for the peace option and participated in the National Dialogue, they would by now have been accommodated in the Presidential Palace.” He added that rebels are not worth to be shot: “The price of a bullet, SDG7 ($1), is worth more than a mercenary.”
Fighting was sparked again in Kutum, North Darfur, last Sunday 28 May. Soon after the National Consensus Forces, a coalition of Sudanese opposition parties, called on Sudan to treat the detained rebel combatants in a humanitarian manner.
Collection of bodies
Yesterday the Darfur Bar Association (DBA) condemned Fadelmoula’s statement in the strongest terms. The association issued a press statement and appealed to the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) to reach the areas where armed conflict took place in North and East Darfur.
‘Provide urgent assistance to those affected by the incidents, collect the dead bodies in the open, verify their identities, hand them over to their families as soon as possible or bury them in a morally dignified manner, according to the teachings of religions and customs.’
The DBA continues its statement with an appeal to international organisations active in the region to provide humanitarian assistance to the people who are affected by human rights violations and forced displacement.
Ten dead in clash over sheep in East Darfur
June 28 – 2017 ADILA
Ten people were killed and five others wounded in a clash between sheep owners and gunmen in East Darfur’s Adila locality on Tuesday.
Speaking to Radio Dabanga from Sharef, a listener reported that a group of gunmen robbed a herd of more than 100 sheep from the area of El Tiboun and Umdeiboun in West Kordofan, south of the East Darfur town, on Tuesday morning.
“When the search team tried to retrieve the sheep, fighting broke out. Ten people, including a woman, were fatally hit by bullets. Five others were injured,” he said.
The East Darfur MP for the Sharef constituency, Ahmed Ali Ajab, told the Sudan News Agency (Suna) yesterday that the situation returned to normal after intervention of Adila authorities.
He said that the commissioner and the security committee of Adila immediately went to the scene of the conflict, south of Sharef. They helped transport the wounded to Adila Hospital, and deployed buffer troops to separate the warring parties and to search for the thieves and the stolen sheep.
The West Kordofan authorities as well sent military reinforcements to the border area of Adila locality to contain the conflict.
Adila locality is the stronghold of the Maaliya tribe to which the sheep thieves belong. The Hamar lives in West Kordofan, in the area where the sheep were stolen.
Sudan Tribune
10 killed in fresh tribal clashes in East Darfur
July 22, 2017 (ED-DAEIN) – Ten people were killed and fourteen others injured Friday in renewed clashed between Ma’alia and Rizeigat tribes in East Darfur state. The clashes between the two tribes occurred at Al-Muglaid area, 40 kilometres west of East Darfur capital, Ed-Daein as Ma’alia tribesmen were pursuing stolen cattle. The state security committee has deployed military reinforcements to separate the two sides and prevent further clashes.
A tribal leader from the Ma’alia Mohamed Ahmed Nour told Sudan Tribune that a group of herders from the Agarba clan of the Ma’alia have been ambushed by the Rizeigat gunmen as they were pursuing their stolen cattle leading to the killing of 2 people and injuring 2 others. For his part, the tribal leader from the Rizeigat Mohamed al-Hag Marano said Ma’alia gunmen who were pursuing stolen sheep have attacked Rizeigat tribesmen killing 8 people and injuring at least 12 others.
He said the main reason behind the clashes is the violation by the Ma’alia tribesmen to the government decision which banned tribes from pursuing any stolen cattle, pointing the responsibility to retrieve the cattle was entrusted to the security committee. Marano underscored his tribe full commitment to achieve security and stability according to the reconciliation agreements among the various tribes and the government.
Tribal clashes are now seen as the first source of violence in the western Sudan region and displaced thousands of civilians in Darfur five states. The conflict between the Rezeigat and the Ma’alia tribes in East Darfur state is considered one of the longest and most deadly in the region.
Renewed tribal clashes in East Darfur leave 49 dead
July 24 – 2017 MUHAJIRIYA
At least 49 people were killed and 29 wounded in new fighting between Rizeigat and Maaliya in East Darfur on Friday and Saturday.
The clashes that broke out in El Badia in the area of El Mejlid, east of Muhajiriya, on Friday, were triggered by charges of cattle theft.
Nine people were killed and 12 others injured, witnesses from both sides told Radio Dabanga.
The next day, the fighting grow more fierce in the area of Donki Umarag east of Muhajiriya. At least 40 tribesmen were killed, and more than 17 others wounded.
At least 13 of the wounded were taken to Ed Daein Hospital on Sunday..
The sources all complained about the silence of the authorities. “They were nowhere to be seen,” one of them told this station.
They warned for more violence if the authorities do not intervene soon, “in particular as the warring parties are mobilising their youth at the moment”.
Leaders of East Darfur warring tribes ‘transported’ to Khartoum
July 31 – 2017 ED DAEIN
East Darfur authorities transported 21 Rizeigat and Maaliya leaders to Khartoum on Sunday. The tribal leaders have reportedly been summoned by the Presidency. Dozens of militants from both tribes were detained in Keleikil. In South Darfur, the collection of illegal weapons from tribesmen and other civilians will commence on 6 August.
Speaking to Radio Dabanga from Ed Daein, capital of East Darfur, a Rizeigat tribesman said that the security authorities summoned 13 Rizeigat leaders, including the tribe’s nazir (native administration leader) and his deputy, to Keleikil, 20 km east of Ed Daein, on Saturday.
Seven Maaliya omdas were summoned as well, to Keleikil and Mejlid. From there, the two groups were transported to Ed Daein airport on Sunday morning.
He said that the Rizeigat nazir demanded to see the warrant for his detention. “The authorities however told them they were summoned by the Presidency in Khartoum. But putting them in an isolated room at the airport and preventing people from seeing them, means they were being detained.”
A Maaliya activist confirmed that his tribe’s omdas left Ed Daein by air to Khartoum on Sunday. Later that day they would be joined by their nazir. The activist said that the Sudanese Presidency reportedly summoned the leaders of the warring tribes to Khartoum for “an exchange of views”.
The East Darfur security forces also arrested 54 Rizeigat and 34 Maaliya militant tribesmen at the market of Keleikil on Saturday.
“They stripped them of their weapons and moved them to Nyala,” he told this station. “They will probably be transferred to prisons in Port Sudan so that their relatives will not be able to free them by force.”
Almost 50 tribesmen were killed in new Maaliya-Rizeigat clashes east of Muhajiriya in East Darfur a week ago. The fighting was triggered by accusations of cattle theft. The East Darfur authorities deployed a military buffer force to separate the militants.
Both communities agreed to promote peaceful coexistence after the clashes.
Disarmament
Second Vice-President Hasabo Abdelrahman is currently working on the legal measures to be taken to collect weapons from civilians in Darfur and Kordofan.
Khartoum decided to launch a broad disarmament campaign in the western region of the country, to start before the end of this year.
The vice-president discussed the situation in East Darfur with Attorney-General Omar Ahmed Mohamed on Sunday. In a press statement after the meeting, the attorney-general said they talked about with the legal situation and the status of the arms collection campaign in East Darfur
Mohamed appealed to “all those carrying unlicensed weapons to hand them before the end of the deadline set by the authorities”.
He said that illegal arms will be collected “from all states of the country, to promote security, peace, and stability”, and stressed that legal measures will be taken against anyone who does not deliver his weapons to the authorities.
South Darfur
In South Darfur, the collection of illegal weapons from tribesmen and other civilians will commence on 6 August.
Vehicles will also be screened. Land Cruisers will be only in the hands of the regular forces, Governor Adam El Faki said in a press conference in the capital of Nyala on Sunday.
He pointed out that the operation will be carried out in cooperation with civil society and native administration leaders.
Withdrawal of Unamid
The governor also announced the withdrawal of Unamid peacekeepers from Ed El Fursan and Tullus on 30 July, and from Buram and Kass on 30 August.
Last month, the UN Security Council decided on a major reduction of peacekeepers in Darfur. The mandate of the UN-AU peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (Unamid) was renewed until 30 June next year, but the mission will be restructured “in two six-month phases while closely monitoring the situation on the ground”. Within the coming six months, more than a third of the nearly 19,000 troops and police officers of Unamid will be withdrawn.
According to the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the decision to downsize Unamid is “an explicit recognition of the realisation of peace and security” in the region.
Darfur displaced, Sudanese politicians, rebel movements, and regional and international organisations however have all warned for the consequences of a downsized Unamid, in particular as violence against people in Darfur has increased in the past years.
“The last couple of years, the attacks, killings, rapes, theft, and kidnapping have increased again. There is ample evidence for this,” Hussein Abusharati, Spokesman for the Darfur Displaced and Refugees Association commented.
According to the Sudan Democracy First Group, cutting the number of Unamid forces will leave the people in Darfur “more vulnerable to abuses of all kinds by the Sudanese army, paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and other militias operating in the region”.
4X4 vehicle collection impacts transport in East and West Darfur
August 16 – 2017 ED DAEIN / EL GENEINA
The decision to ban the use of Land Cruisers has negatively affected internal travel and travel from the capital of Ed Daein to the rest of East Darfur, especially as it is the only practical way to move around in the rainy season.
A travel agent told Radio Dabanga that the decision to ban the use of four-wheel-drive vehicles led to a rise in prices of tickets from Ed Daein to Abu Jabra from SDG 80 ($12) to SDG 250 ($37), while the price of a ticket from Ed Daein to Askalays has risen from SDG 70 ($10.50) to SDG 150 ($22.50) as there is a shortage of vehicles.
Searches
Yesterday morning Ed Daein witnessed raids and a large-scale search of homes by government forces in the districts of El Gubba and Muhajer.
The operation coincided with closing of all entrances and exits of Ed Daein.
Residents of El Gubba and Muhajer told Radio Dabanga that the search of several homes was violent and degrading, without regard for the sanctity and safety of the residents.
Residents confirmed the search was thorough but did not produce anything.
West Darfur
Hundreds of owners of Land Cruisers in West Darfur have stopped their vehicles transporting passengers and goods between the towns and villages in protest against the decisions of the authorities to confiscate their vehicles.
Yesterday workers in West Darfur told Radio Dabanga that around 940 Land Cruisers operate in the state between the rest of the four states of Darfur, West Darfur, and their eight localities.
The halt of the vehicles has led to the overcrowding of passengers in El Geneina especially as these four-wheel drive vehicles are the only means of transportation during the rainy season in Darfur where many of the roads have no asphalt.
Militias
On Thursday the Governor of West Darfur, Fadlelmawla El Haja, announced that he will witness the collection of weapons from the supporting forces in the state, including border guards, the Popular Defence Forces, police, and other militias.
The governor announced to the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA) that today will see the start of collection of weapons from regular, official, and supporting forces from the armed, police and security forces.
He said the weapons collection process from the native administration began on Monday.
He appealed to all parties of West Darfur to support the collection of weapons under way.
A number of Border Guards members in West Darfur have complied with the weapons collection order of the Sudanese government and handed over weapons and vehicles they illegally owned, contrary to Border Guards in North Darfur.
On Saturday, members of the Darfuri Border Guards militia agreed to oppose the disarmament plans of the Sudanese government.
RSF
The field commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (aka Hemetti), confirmed he has drawn-up a plan and arrangements for the collection of weapons from his forces.
He pointed out that the process of collecting weapons will be from all components of Darfur and the hands of anyone carrying a weapon.
On Tuesday he told Sudan News Agency the importance of collecting arms from Darfur and from all Sudan within the framework of extending the prestige of the state and the rule of law, especially that the collection of weapons is a presidential decree that must be implemented.
He stressed that the RSF are ready to collect weapons and apply that to the rest of the other regular forces.
He stressed that any member of his forces on a leave or permission of absence or should hand-over their weapon to the quartermaster until the end of the leave or permission period.
(Report also in West Darfur)
Soldiers, militiamen killed in shootings in Darfur
September 14 – 2017 ABU JABRA / MURNEI
A number of people was killed and wounded in a clash between a joint police and army force and drug traffickers in East Darfur. On Tuesday, a soldier was killed by militiamen in West Darfur.
The acting governor of East Darfur, Mudawi Abul Gasim, acknowledged to the media yesterday that there are a number of wounded members of the joint police and army force, who are in Khartoum for treatment. The clash with the drug traffickers occurred in Abu Jabra locality.
The state police chief Brig. Gen Jaafar Ahmed Osman said that the joint force managed to seize 48 sacks of cannabis, a motorcycle and a RBG-type multiple grenade launcher were seized.
Soldier killed
A member of the Sudanese army was killed and a member of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) was wounded in Murnei in West Darfur. “Military personnel at the gates of Murnei denied two RSF militiamen on a motorcycle access to the town, as part of the ban on motorcycles inside the town,” a source told Radio Dabanga.
One of the RSF militiamen opened fire on the guards, killing one of them instantly. The military personnel returned fire and wounded one of the militiamen. The other one was captured.
‘Drunken’ attackers in rickshaw injure East Darfur police – two arrested
October 22 – 2017 ABU JABRA
Two policemen were wounded when a gang of allegedly drunken gunmen opened fire on Um Deidan police station in Abu Jabra locality in East Darfur this week.
Abu Jabra locality commissioner, El Hadi Mahmoud El Sharif, said the attack was carried out by six drunken men who were driving a motor rickshaw. The two injured policemen were taken to Ed Daein Hospital.
A number of weapons and a quantity of ammunition was stolen during the attack, however police gave chase and managed to apprehend two of the alleged perpetrators. The other two managed to escape.
Two dead as East Darfur locality police clash
December 18 – 2017 YASSIN / GIREIDA
Two people were killed and another wounded in a shooting by police in East Darfur’s Yassin locality during operations to collect zakat (Muslim alms).
Witnesses told Dabanga Radio that on Saturday a group of zakat collectors from Yassin locality arrived with police at the Hash area, which is disputed between Yassin and Gireida localities.
The residents refused to pay the Yassin collectors on the pretext that the area is part of Gireida locality. This prompted the Yassin locality police to open fire and shoot Mohammed Osman Ishag dead, and wounded his brother Yahya Osman.
They added that Gireida police intervened and exchanged fire with Yassin police. El Bagir Mohammed Ahmed, the driver of the zakat team vehicle, was killed in the crossfire.
They said that a force from Nyala intervened and managed to separate the police of Gireida and Yassin localities.
New settlers assault, drive-off East Darfur returnees
March 15 – 2018 ED DAEIN
Two displaced people who returned to Areit village in Asalaya locality in East Darfur were injured and forcibly returned in an attack by new settlers who refused to accept their return to their area of origin on Sunday.
Sheikhs from camp Neem in Ed Daein told Radio Dabanga that 400 displaced people returned to the village on Sunday according to voluntary repatriation programmes, but the settlers in the village refused their return, assaulted them and injured Adam Yousef and Ahmad Omar Adam who were taken to the state capital Ed Daein for treatment.
The sheikhs said that the displaced returned to camp Neem on Monday morning on the orders of the locality commissioner, Hamdan Adam El Bushra, so as to prevent further violence and clashes.
The camp sheikhs stressed their attachment to their land, and appealed to the government authorities to extend the prestige of the state, provide services in the villages where they had been displaced from, as well as the removal of agricultural lands from the settlers and returning them to the indigenous people.
(Report also in West and South Darfur)
1,000+ homes destroyed in East Darfur camp inferno
March 19 – 2018 ED DAEIN
A massive fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes in the displaced camps district of Ed Daein on East Darfur. No human casualties were reported, however the four camps of Dabanga, Areida, Garnaya, and Um Sauna suffered extensive damage.
The fire completely destroyed 15 shops and storage facilities at Dabanga Market. One of the camp sheikhs told Dabanga Radio that at least 1,000 families have been affected and that the preliminary inventory estimated the damage at about SDG 40 billion (*$2 million).
The Commissioner of Ed Daein, Ali El Tahir, said “the fire has been the largest of its kind in the recent period as it has destroyed the whole contents of about 1,000 houses.
West Darfur
In a separate incident, fire broke out at Konge village of Kereinik locality in West Darfur and destroyed more than 20 houses.
North Darfur
Another fire that broke out at camp El Salam in Nyala destroyed the houses of dozens of displaced people and caused great property losses.
Many of the homes and shelters in Darfur camps are built of wood and sticks, and most cooking perfiormed on open fires so there is a significant hazard.
* Based on the official US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS)
(Report also in South Darfur)
Six dead, many injured in Darfur violence
March 27 – 2018 DIMSU
Three people were killed and six others were seriously wounded in two separate incidents in Dimsu of South Darfur.
In the first incident, the commissioner of the locality, Saleh Adam, confirmed that gunmen opened fire on two vehicles, killed one person, and wounded two men and a woman.
In the second incident, Haj Abdallah Eisa and Adam Hashim were killed and four people, including a woman, were wounded in a clash between a local rescue team and thieves who stole 60 goats.
In East Darfur, 12 people were killed or injured in clashes involving edged weapons (knives and machetes) between youths from Karo area of Bahr El Arab. Exact casualty numbers are still unknown.
East Darfur camp fire victims still living rough
March 29 – 2018 ED DAEIN
Some 373 families of displaced people of camp El Neem in Ed Daein are still living in the open after the huge fire that broke out in the camp destroyed dozens of houses two weeks ago.
One of the sheikhs of the camp told Radio Dabanga that these families are now in desperate need of food, tents, mattresses and water tins, this along with the lack of toilets.
The massive fire reportedly destroyed more than 1,000 homes in the displaced camps district of Ed Daein. No human casualties were reported, however the four camps of Dabanga, Areida, Garnaya, and Um Sauna suffered extensive damage.
The fire completely destroyed 15 shops and storage facilities at Dabanga Market. One of the camp sheikhs told Dabanga Radio that at least 1,000 families have been affected and that the preliminary inventory estimated the damage at about SDG 40 billion (*$2 million).
The Commissioner of Ed Daein, Ali El Tahir, said “the fire has been the largest of its kind in the recent period as it has destroyed the whole contents of about 1,000 houses.
* Based on the official US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS)
(Report also in South Darfur)
More fires in Darfur camps: Dozens of homes destroyed
April 10 – 2018 NYALA / ED DAEIN / EL GEDAREF
Three separate fires on Sunday and Monday caused the destruction of dozens of houses in two camps for displaced people and a cotton production site in Darfur and El Gedaref.
A fire broke out in Kalma camp in South Darfur on Sunday, destroying 51 houses. Dozens of families are left in the open without shelter, a Sheikh in the camp reported.
Mubarak Mohamed Ahmed told Radio Dabanga that the fire broke out in Block 8 at 11 am. Twelve other homes were partially destroyed. “The damages are still being counted. The cause for the fire has not yet been identified.”
More large fires are reported in Darfur in this time of year, when the wind easily spreads flames – for example from cooking fires – through the dry grass and roofs. A shortage of fire-fighting equipment exacerbates the damage.
El Neem camp
On Monday morning, a large fire broke out in El Neem camp for displaced people, north of Ed Daein in East Darfur. Reportedly more than 700 homes were destroyed, a basic school, as well as large quantities of crops.
One of the camp residents who have lost their homes told Radio Dabanga that the fire broke out at 10 am on the eastern side of the camp. “The flames spread and destroyed about 750 houses, in addition to El Salam basic school. The destruction has displaced more than 3,000 people.”
The affected people live in the open without food, shelter or cover, he reported. It was the third fire in three months to ravage El Neem camp.
In March, Radio Dabanga reported that about 373 families in El Neem were still living in the open after a huge fire that broke out in the camp two weeks before.
El Gedaref
A huge fire broke out at El Faw complex in El Gedaref on Sunday evening, and destroyed 4,200 bales of cotton that were ready for export.
The executive director of the Sudanese cotton company, El Tayeb El Tahir said that the fire has resulted in the destruction of about 17,000 quintals (a historical unit of mass, usually referred to as an uncommon measure of 100 kilogrammes) and estimated the damages at more than SDG 30 billion ($1.6 billion, based on the official US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan).
100+ shops razed in East Darfur market fire
April 12 – 2018 BAHR EL ARAB
More than 100 shops and stalls were destroyed on Wednesday when fire raged through Shabakat market in Bahr El Arab locality in East Darfur.
One of the affected traders said that fortunately there were no casualties, although high wind and the lack of fire extinguishing equipment contributed to the material loss. He said that the the fire destroyed about 90 per cent of the market shops built with hay. Losses are estimated at SDG 25 million (*$1.37 million).
He predicted that the residents of Bahr El Arab would face a significant shortage of food and consumer goods as a result of the devastation caused by the fire.
* Based on the official US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS)
(Report also in Central and South Darfur)
Shelling, crime leave four dead in Darfur
July 24 – 2018 KASS / EL RADOOM / BURAM / YASSIN
Separate incidents in Darfur have led to the death of four people, including two women, a policeman and a farmer.
A blast bomb in southern Jebel Marra caused the death of two women and six livestock on Sunday night. A sheikh from Gouku informed Radio Dabanga that Sudanese military troops stationed at Gog, north of Kass, shelled several areas that night, killing Darelsalam Hamid (22) and Hawa Younis (72) on the spot.
The sheikh explained that this forced residents to escape the attack. Fighting between the Sudanese army and allied militias against the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW) sparked again starting March this year. The government attempts to eliminate the last strongholds of the only remaining rebel group in the region.
Farmers
In East Jebel Marra, 35-year-old Adam Haroun Yagoub was seriously wounded while trying to drive cattle off his farm. Farmers in the states North, South and West Darfur have complained about herders who let their cattle graze on the farmlands by force of arms. The fields are now in process of germination, a farmer in Darfur told Radio Dabanga.
He said that they have filed several reports about incidents with herders to police stations. These have not moved quickly to stop the attacks of the herders, the farmer added.
In South Darfur, herders shot dead farmer Adam Babikir at his farm near Abujou village, El Radoom locality, on Monday morning. The incident was reported to the police.
Policeman killed
Policeman Idris Hamdan was shot dead by gunmen in Buram, South Darfur on Sunday. Three others were wounded, including an officer. Their police force was hunting down robbers who stole cattle at Marfeina area in Buram locality.
Explosion
Two herders sustained injuries in a grenade explosion at Muhajiry in Yassin locality, East Darfur. The grenade reportedly exploded when the herdsmen set fire to a tree in an attempt to kill a huge snake hiding there.
Years of conflict have left Darfur and other war-torn areas of Sudan littered with unexploded ordnance (UXO). Radio Dabanga appeals to listeners throughout the region (and elsewhere in our reception area) not to touch any ‘unexploded’ grenades or other ammunition found in the field. Mark its position clearly to alert others, and report it immediately to a camp elder, Unamid and/or the local police.
Sudan’s President Al Bashir: ‘Cut off limbs and necks of those who refuse to surrender illegal arms’
August 13 – 2018 KHARTOUM
President Omar Al Bashir has ordered Sudan’s judges to “apply the law and cut off limbs and necks of anyone who refuses to hand over his illegal weapon, in the public arena and in the market”.
Speaking at the end of the National Congress Party consultation conference in Khartoum on Saturday, Al Bashir, who accepted nomination from the council for a third term as president, said illegal weapons have caused killings and cases of tribal conflicts over land or livestock.
He said that 81 youths had been killed in a dispute over 150 sheep in East Darfur.
He said that the weapons are still hidden and that the door remains open to those who want to hand over their weapons, however Al Bashir threatened to hand over those refusing to hand over their weapons to the court.
Al Bashir also renewed his call to “the armed movements that reject peace to engage in the peace process rather than staying in capitals of foreign countries”.
He pledged to complete peace in the states of Blue Nile, South Kordofan and Darfur.
Arms collection
Last year in July, the Sudanese government announced a large disarmament campaign in the country, to begin with in Darfur and Kordofan.
Members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan’s main government militia, and the army were tasked to collect illegal arms and unlicensed vehicles from civilians. In North Darfur alone, more than 12,500 RSF troops were deployed for this purpose.
The phase of the voluntary handover of weapons ended and compulsory collection began in end October. By then, about 30,000 weapons had been collected, out of an estimated 700,000 illegal weapons circulating in Darfur.
Moreover, sources told Radio Dabanga in January this year that a number of militiamen in the region refused to return the weapons and Land Cruisers to the disarmament campaign.They said that hundreds of militiamen took the vehicles to Libya and Chad, towards Niger. Others went southward.
In early May, Sudan’s Second Vice-President, Hasabo Abdelrahman, announced the re-enforcemnt of the disarmament campaign in Darfur.
Sudan Tribune
Darfur group says 4 POWs died in government prisons
August 19, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan Liberation Movement-Transitional Council (SLM-TC) on Sunday said four of its fighters captured by government forces have died in prison as a result of medical negligence and continued torture.In a press release seen by Sudan Tribune on Sunday, SLM-TC spokesperson, Nurraldine Kouki, said 11 captives from the movement are facing a tragic situation at Al-Huda Prison in Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman.
“Four of our comrades were martyred so far and the last of whom, Abdel-Salam Mohamed Salih, died on 13 August as a result of medical negligence of the hostages who were injured during the battles as well as the continued torture during the previous period” he added In coordinated operations with the SLM-Minni Minnawi in May 2017, the holdout rebel group fought the Sudanese government army and militias in North and East Darfur. However, the group suffered significant losses after the killing of its general commander Mohamed Abdel Salam Tarada in East Darfur and the capture of its leader Nimer Abdel Rahman in Ain Siro, North Darfur. Kouki pointed out that the Sudanese authorities have prevented humanitarian and rights groups from following up on the conditions of the 11 captives according to Geneva Conventions. He described the death of the four captives as “undeclared executions”, calling on the Red Cross to press the government to provide medical services to the captives.
East Darfur security agent slain by lover’s family
October 1 – 2018 ED DAEIN
A member of the National Intelligence and Security Services in Ed Daein in East Darfur has been killed, allegedly by members of his lover’s family. Four suspects have been detained.
Witnesses reported that Eisa El Mulla, a member of the security services, was found dead this week. The officials investigating the death examined El Mulla’s mobile phone and found that he had had contact with a woman living to the north of the El Sikka Hadeed district.
Investigators explained that when they confronted the woman, she admitted that she was having an affair with the deceased, and that he had been with her at her house when he was attacked by four of her relatives.
The police then arrested four men who reportedly confessed to killing El Mulla.
East Darfur court jails activists for protests
January 22 – 2019 ED DAEIN
A court in Ed Daein, East Darfur, sentenced four activists to three months imprisonment under the state’s emergency measures that have been installed against the backdrop of the demonstrations throughout Sudan.
The defendants are Hasan Mahmoud, lawyer Abdallah Abdelmajid, Adam Tareibo and Waleed Eisa. They have been transferred from the cells of the joint police and security forces to the prison in Ed Daein.
The activists participated in protest in the state capital and also openly condemned the security forces’ raiding of homes. They considered it to be a violation of human rights and contrary to the law and the Sudanese constitution.
Relatives of the prisoners have called for their immediate release.
Earlier this month, El Fasher Criminal Court sentenced 20 young people to six months in prison. The protesters had participated in a rally southeast of El Fasher, El Wihda district, under the currently active emergency measures in the state.
The number of demonstrators detained to this day is unclear but several official sources stated that over a thousand people have been in detention or remain in detention by riot police and the security apparatus.
According to human rights watchdog Amnesty International earlier this month, more than 40 people had been killed, but that number has increased after the recent mass protest in Omdurman and the rallies in Burri in Khartoum on Thursday.
Two returnees killed over tensions in Darfur
March 26 – 2019 ED DAEIN / KATILA
Gunmen shot and killed two people in East Darfur on Sunday who had returned from the camp for displaced people to their home village. Humanitarian aid activities in South Darfur reported that local peace committees discuss tensions between returnees and new settlers in their areas of origin.
On Sunday, unidentified gunmen shot two people dead at Arid village in East Darfur. A source confirmed to Radio Dabanga that the victims had been displaced by conflict a long time ago and resided at En Neem camp in Ed Daein locality. They had returned to their village as part of the voluntary repatriation process for displaced people in Darfur.
The source said that the motive for the shooting was to try to expel the returnees from their original villages and farms, in order to exploit their farms that have now been seized by armed groups.
Starting 2017, the Sudanese government began to issue announcements about the improved security situation in the region and gave people in camps for displaced people the option to voluntarily return to their areas of origin, or remain in the camps which will be transformed into residential areas.
Radio Dabanga frequently receives reports of attacks on displaced people who have returned to their villages and farms, carried out by militiamen or unidentified armed men. The insecurity discourages many displaced people from leaving the vast camps, despite of the large-scale voluntary return programmes set-up by the Sudanese Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), the UNHCR in Chad and the Commissioner of Refugees (COR).
“New settlers in their land of origin refused them access to their land.” – Amnesty International
In June 2018, Amnesty International stated that the provision of safety to displaced people returning to their areas of origin in Darfur after years of living in the camps, has been a failure.
“Many displaced people and refugees faced pushback and violence as they attempted to settle back in their lands of origin. For example, in North Darfur, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the voluntary repatriation of Sudanese refugees from Chad started in March, and 20,000 refugees are anticipated to return to their places of origin in Darfur in 2018… However, [Radio Dabanga reported that] approximately 250 displaced families were forced to settle in an IDP camp in Kabkabiya in North Darfur, as new settlers in their land of origin refused them access to their land.”
OCHA: “Minor tensions” South Darfur
In its latest humanitarian news bulletin covering Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that a Recovery, Returns, and Reintegration (RRR) sector carried out voluntary verification missions to five return villages in South Darfur’s Katila locality (Batikha, Haraza, Eraida El Dwenki, Aradiba Bawat, and Gibaiabish), and one return village in Ed El Fursan locality (Muaqina) to verify voluntariness of returns, number of returnees and to assess their needs.
About 22,200 people returned to their home villages in Katila and Ed El Fursan localities, according to the mission. The majority returned to the five villages in Katila.
In addition the office stated that, “[In South Darfur Katila locality] There were no major protection concerns or security incidents reported since they returned to their villages, except for minor tensions between animal herders and farmers during the rainy season (June-September). These tensions were resolved by peace committees in the villages, rendering good relationships between neighbours, said the community leaders.
“According to reports, all the returnees were able to access their farms without any problems.”
Several months before, in April 2018, Radio Dabanga reported that unidentified gunmen killed four returnees within the Voluntary Return Programme and wounded six others in an attack by unknown gunmen on the village of Jamra in South Darfur’s Katila.
In spite of “no major protection concerns or security incidents”, OCHA quotes the mission team’s recommendations for “longer-term durable assistance such as enhancing protection by boosting police presence in the return villages and for government authorities to prioritise the collection of arms”.
In addition, the returnees told the verification mission they are concerned about the lack of basic services such as water, health, and education.
Dozens detained in West Kordofan militia raids
March 31 – 2019 WEST KORDOFAN
On Wednesday, members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan’s main government militia, reportedly held about 23 people at the Um Kireidem market in Sunut in West Kordofan and took them to the prison of Abu Zabad as part of a campaign ‘to collect weapons and arrest suspects wanted for criminal offences’.
Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that a RSF force in “dozens of vehicles” raided the weekly Um Kireidem market, “held the people in one of the squares of the market in a humiliating manner before the arrest of 23 people.”
Those arrested are accused of using violence in a recent dispute between the Misseriya and Hamar tribes, and of possession of weapons.
Witnesses reported that detainees from Bambon, Galeisa, Barbash, and En Nahud were also moved to Abu Zabad prison.
They pointed out that the raids shocked the people in the area and found condemnation from large sectors.
Four arrested by security forces in East Darfur
April 1 – 2019 EAST DARFUR
Four men were taken from their homes in El Fadhu village in Asalaya locality on Thursday, reportedly for crimes related to obstruction of displaced persons from returning to their villages of origin.
The East Darfur security authorities took Habib El Raji, Mohamed El Mahdi, Adam El Safi and Abunoba Omar. According to reports, some of the men were also involved in frequent banditry on the road between Ed Daein and Nyala.
Sources told Radio Dabanga that the security committee of East Darfur has sentenced them to three months imprisonment according to laws under the State of Emergency initiated by the Sudanese government on February 22 and transferred them to Kober prison in Nyala, capital of South Darfur.
Attack on village
A few days ago, Radio Dabanga received reports that Arid village, a return village located in East Darfur, was subject to an armed attack in which two former displaced were killed. There is currently no further information available.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan, during the first half of 2018, some 15,000 people were newly displaced in Darfur, all of which was in and from Jebel Marra. UN OCHA estimates that about 386,000 people have returned to their areas of origin in Sudan since 2015, mainly in Darfur.