Darfur: Two people killed and a woman raped by armed militia in Central Darfur

 (2 July 2020) The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) has documented two incidents of attack against civilians by armed militia in Central Darfur state. The attacks left two civilians killed, two officers of Sudanese armed force injured and a young woman raped. One incident occurred on 14 June 2020 whilst the other occurred on 28 June 2020 following a raid by armed militias in Khor Ramla internally displaced person’s (IDP) camp, Western Nerteti in Central Darfur.

The rape of a 23 year old woman

On Sunday, 14 June 2020, at about 5:00pm, three armed men in military uniform raped a 23-year-old woman at gunpoint in the east of Tour village in Central Darfur state. The victim was transferred to Nerteti hospital for treatment, and a case has been filed before the Tour police station but perpetrators have not been arrested yet.

Raid in Khor Ramla displaced people’s camp.

On 28 June 2020, armed militia raided Khor Ramla internally displaced person’s (IDP) camp and killed two civilians. Two officers of the Sudanese armed forces who happened to be inside the camp at the time were injured during an exchange of gun fire with the militia. Following the raid, thousands of people demonstrated in Nierteti against the deterioration of security situation in Nerteti and the surrounding villages. The peaceful demonstrators have gathered in a sit-in in front of the municipality building since 28 June to this date. They are demanding the local government to put an end to the daily attacks by armed militias against civilians, and to record complaints filed by victims of crimes.

The peaceful demonstrators at the sit-inhave also asked the authorities to disarm the militias and to arrest the perpetrators and hold them to account beside the removal of the current security forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from the Nerteti municipality.

The names of the deceased are:

1. Adam Abdelmonim (male)
2. Fatima Aldouma (female)

The names of the injured military officers are:

1. Abdel Khalig Abdalla (male)
2. Alsadig Khamees (male)

ACJPS condemns the arbitrary attacks on civilians in Darfur region and calls on:

• The transitional government to officially and publicly condemn these arbitrary attacks, unlawful killings and injury and make it clear that these acts are absolutely prohibited and perpetrators will be held to account.
• Sudanese authorities to immediately put in place measures to protect civilians in Darfur region. Put in place tightened restrictions on the use and supply of arms and ammunitions, and a concerted effort to control arms and ammunition in the region should be launched, as well as controls over the use of ammunition and the presence of militias and weapons in public places.
• UNAMID to fulfil its mandate to contribute to the protection of civilian populations under imminent threat of physical violence, and prevent attacks against civilians within its capability and areas of deployment. UNAMID’s capacity has already been threatened by the significant drawdown in its military and police officers.
• International community, particularly the European Union, United States, UN and African Union, to support the Transitional Government of Sudan to meet its legal obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law.

Background

For years, civilians in the Darfur region have been the primary targets of killings, large-scale forced displacement, rape and other forms of sexual violence, destruction of villages and property, pillaging, abductions, acts of torture, indiscriminate aerial bombardments, arbitrary arrests and detention.

The transitional government has set as a key priority putting an end to insurgencies in the Darfur region and other conflict states and ensuring lasting peace. However, since the formation of the sovereign council, several incidents of tribal clashes and militia attacks against civilians have taken place in different states in Sudan, including the attack on an internally displaced people’s camp in Geneina where at least 72 people were killed and 109 others wounded between 29 and 31 December 2019.

On 21 April 2020, ACJPS documented  an attack against civilians in Tamur Jameel village, North East Zalingi in Central Darfur state by armed militia. In June 2020, ACJPS documented four incidents involving attacks on civilians in five villages in the states of Central, North and South Darfur that left ten people dead and eighteen injured including an eight-month-old baby.

Contact:

Mossaad Mohamed Ali, Executive Director, African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies. (English, Arabic, Swedish): +46727712782, mossaad.ali@acjps.org