Security deteriorates in Darfur following surge in attacks by armed militias against civilians and IDPs

(2 December 2021) African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) expresses deep concern about the surge of targeted attacks by armed Arab nomads against civilian farmers in the Darfur region.  From 9 October to 20 November 2021, ACJPS documented nine incidents involving attacks on civilians in West and North Darfur. These attacks have left tens of civilians dead, injured, missing and displaced thousands. The Government of Sudan should immediately put in place measures to protect civilians throughout Darfur.

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

Sudanese authorities:

• 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.
• Launch an independent and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attacks in Darfur and guarantee that their findings are published promptly and within a clear timeframe. This investigation should also address conflict-related gender-based violence
• To immediately prioritize the protection of 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.
• Ensure that police and law enforcement officers are deployed in the area to ensure security.

ACJPS further calls on the international community to prioritize the protection of civilians and security situation in Darfur and deploy resources to ensure the protection of civilians in the region and assist with independent and impartial investigations of human rights violations with an aim of ensuring accountability.

Five Zaghawa tribesmen killed by Arab Nomads in Kulbus locality, West Darfur

On 24 October 2021, a group of armed Arab nomads killed 5 Zaghawa tribesmen in Mastura neighborhood in Kulbus locality, West Darfur state. The incident happened after the Arabs accused Zaghawa tribesmen of killing one of them over a land dispute. On 12 November, the acting local executive administrator of Kulbus mediated between the two parties and, the Arabs agreed to pay blood money to the Zaghawa tribe as compensation for killing 5 of their tribesmen.

The deceased are:

1. Abdul Kareem Abdul Jabaar Abakar (m)
2. Ibrahim Abdul Kareem Abakar (m)
3. Babkir Shogar Bakhite(m)
4. Harry Bakhite Mainies (m)
5. Derdiq Abdallah Adam (m)

18 people killed in Jabaal Moon, West Darfur

The tension between the malameed from Rezigate tribe (Arab nomads) and Misseriya Jabaal tribe in Jabaal Moon locality, West Darfur state started after the rainy season begun. The Misseriya Jabaal tribesmen complained of cattle belonging to the Arab nomads entering their farms and destroying crops. On 14 September 2021, Sultan Saad Bahar Eldien and other community leaders of the Masalit tribe in Sudan tried to mediate the situation between the two tribes.

The situation worsened when the Misseriya farmers received no intervention by the police after reporting incidents of cattle belonging the Arab nomads destroying their crops. Lack of intervention by the police or the local government authorities of Jabaal Moon prompted the Misseriya tribesmen to arm themselves and guard their farms in the night. As a result, two Arab nomads, Mr Hamadan Mohamed Weidaa and Mr Sadam Hamadan Awaad were killed in Um Khrouba village, Selia neighborhood in Jebel moon. The third Arab sustained severe injuries and died on 9 October 2021 at Elgenina Hospital. His name is unknown.

On 11 November 2021, after an intervention by West Darfur State Security Committee, the Misseriya tribesmen agreed to pay blood money to the Arabs in compensation for killing the two Arab nomads but denied killing the third one who got injured and passed away later. After paying the first installment, tension resumed as armed Arab nomads started targeting the Misseriya tribesmen for denying the killing of the third member. Consequently, on 11 November 2021, Mr. Ishaq Abdul Rahman, a 27-year-old Misseriya tribesman was killed by an armed Arab nomad in Selia neighborhood in Jabaal Moon, West Darfur. On 13 November, armed Arab nomads shot another Misseriya tribesman, Mr. Doudgdg Osman to death. Following the killings, Misseriya tribesmen announced that they would not pay any more blood money to the Arab nomads.

On 16, 17, 18 and 20 November, Arab militias in plain clothes armed with automatic guns, riding in land cruiser vehicles and on motorcycles launched an attack on 13 villages occupied by Misseriya Jabaal tribe in Selia neighborhood, Jabaal Moon. The attack started in Rokiro village on 16 November before it extended to 12 more villages of Ammar Jaded, Arjaa Hela Awien, Batha, Ganakra shemal, Goes menu, Hajar hawaan, Hashab, Hajilia Badeh, Tabet and Um Siaala.

ACJPS has been reliably informed that before the attack, the Arab militias who came from Saraaf Omra and Elgenina gathered in Taiba, a former military base for the Border Guard Forces (formerly the Janjaweed militia).

The attack resulted into deaths from both parties including 9Arab militias whose names are not unknown.  9 Misseriyatribesmen were killed and 11 others injured. The injured have been transferred to Elgenina Hospital with the exception of one who is missing. About 1,300 houses were burned down whilst more than 16,000 people have been displaced with some crossing into Chad.

The deceased are:

Arab nomads

1. Osman Izz Eldien Barous (m)
2. Osman Abakar Abdul Nabie (m)
3. Adam Saeed Marfaien (m)
4. Saleh Takrizu Marfaien (m)
5. Ahmed Adam Ibrahim (m)
6. Hussein Daif Allah Ahimier (m)
7. Mohamed Issa Trebu (m)
8. AL Rashid Abdul Rahman Musa (m)
9. Ibrahim Issa Sholofa (m)

Mesearia Jabaal tribesmen

1. Abdallah Yagoup Abdul Rahman (m)
2. Ahmed Suleiman Omer (m)
3. Yahiya Abdallah Abakar (m)
4. Abdu Haroun Hassan (m)
5. Mohamed Ali Mohamed Abdul Kareem (m)
6. Suleiman Ibrahim Mahdi (m)
7. Suleiman Adam Omer (m)
8. Abdullah Suleiman (m)
9. Hussein Dawood Hasab Abalh (m)

Injured People from Mesearia Jabaal tribe

1. Abakar Abdallah Harien (m)
2. Abdallah Jumah Mohamed (m)
3. Abdu Osman Abdul Azizi (m)
4. Abdul Azizi Yahiya (m)
5. Abu Algasim Elnoor (m)
6. Adam Ahmed (m)
7. Adam Ismail Adam (m)
8. Adam Yahiya Idris (m)
9. Adam Yoinies Adam (m)
10. Daldoum Elnoor (m)
11. Jamal Musa Ibrahim (m)
12. Yahiya Al-Dae Zakary (m)
13. Yahiya Ismail (m)

Jabaal Moon does not only have the most fertile agricultural lands but is also rich in gold. ACJPS was reliably informed that an individual affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces had placed equipment to start mining in the area but withdrew before it started in the first quarter of 2021 for unknown reasons. Since 2018, most of Misseriya tribesmen returned to their homes from IDP camps. This also the first time the Arabs have disclosed the names of their killed people.

Armed persons in Kabkabaia locality, in North Darfur, kill a woman.

On 12 November 2021, at about 2:00PM, unknown armed persons shot to death, Mrs Aisha Ahmed Mohamed, a 45-year-old woman from the Fur tribe. She was a resident of Aldoor village, located 17 kilometers North East of Kabkabaia locality in North Darfur. A bullet case of an automatic gun machine was retrieved from the crime scene. The murder was reported at the police station and the deceased buried was in her village in Kabkabaia locality.

Armed militia kills an IDP in Shingle Tubai Camp, North Darfur

On 10 November 2021, at about 5:30AM, Mr. Mohamed Eldoma Adam Mohamed, a 35-year-old internally displaced person (IDP) who lived in Naivasha, Shingle Tubai Camp in North Darfur was killed by three armed Arab men while on his way back from his farm. He was shot after he intervened to protect three female IDPs who were facing rape threats from the armed Arabs.  The murder case was reported at Shingle Tubai police station.

On 11 November 2021, following the murder, IDPs held a peaceful protest in front of the local government offices at Shingle Tubai, calling for better security. The Military Intelligence officers arrested three people on suspicion of leading the protest. They are

• Ibarhim Adam Musa Hassan (25),
• Abu Algasim Yousef Adam (37) and
• Mr Abdam Musa Abu Shanab (27)

All the three men are being held at the military Intelligence office in Shangli Tubai, North Darfur.

On the evening of the same day, at about 05:30PM, a group of Arab militia men wearing regular Sudanese Armed Forces uniforms and others in plain clothes riding on motorcycles, camels backs, and horses, and armed with automatic guns lunched an attack on Shingle Tubai IDP camp, from the North and Eastern sides. This attack resulted in the injuring of 6 IDPs including 2 minors. The injured have been taken to Shingle Tubai and Elfashir hospitals. At least 30 houses have been burned, either partially or completely while more than 300 livestock have been looted.  Hundreds of IDPs have moved to Shadad IDP camp located within Shingle Tubai. The case has been reported at Shingle Tubai police station.

The injured people are:

Elfashir hospital

1. Mohamed Yahiya Abdallah(m)
2. Babkir Adam Abdul Mawlaa (m), 35, injured in right hand
3. Abdallah Yagoup Abdallah (m), 33, sustained injury in the hand
4. Khadiga Adam Abdallah (f), 45, injured in the left leg

Shingle Tubai hospital

1. Ekhlas Sidiq Adam (f), 13, sustained injury in the left leg
2. Noor Eldien Hussein Abdallah (m), 15, sustained injury in the left leg.

The killing of two civilians in Tawilla locality, North Darfur

On 7 November 2021, two male IDPs resident in Rwanda IDP camp located in Tawilla locality in North Darfur were killed, and two others injured by armed Arab militias who trespassed on their farms with livestock.

The deceased are:

1. Suleiman Abdul Kareem Adam Izzah (m)
2. Abdul Hamid Abdallah Mohamed Omer (m)

The injured People are:

1- Abdallah Moahmed Isa Abdul Rahman (m)

2-Najate Moahmed Adam Abdul Kareem (f).

Both sustained injuries after being shot. A case was reported to the Tawilla Police Station.

Armed militia kills a man in North Darfur

On 14 November 2021, a group of armed Arab militias riding in land cruiser vehicles shot to death Mr. Mohamed Ali Shatta, a 30-year-old in the main street. The deceased was going to valley of   Hella Hajaj in North Darfur.

Three IDPs tortured and injured by armed militia in Tawila locality, North Darfur

On 16 November 2021, three armed Arab militias attacked three IDPs, two females and a male a few meters from Hela Hajar village in Tawilla locality, North Darfur. One of the victims, a 35-year-old pregnant woman was stabbed in the stomach and beaten with sticks when she tried to defend herself. Another victim, Mrs. Halima Abdul Mahmoud, a 31-year-old was beaten with sticks when she tried to defend herself as well. Mr. Mohamed Abdul Bashir Abdallah, 40-year-old, was also beaten with sticks. They have all been admitted in Tawilla Hospital and these incidents have been reported to the police.

Unknown gunmen kills one IDP and injures another in Zamzam IDP Camp

On 19 November 2021, unknown armed men riding on camel backs shot to death Mr. Muhi Eldien Mohamed Ibrahim (27) and injured Mr. Moahmed Hassan Abdallah (30). Both men are residents of Zamzam IDP camp in North Darfur. The incident took place while the two men were travelling between Kunjara neighborhood in Galab, North Darfur and the IDP camp of Zamzam.

Unknown gunmen kills one IDP and injures another in Teardowna village in Tawilla locality

On 20 November 2021, unknown armed men in Teardowna village attacked two IDPs resident in Dali IDP camp located in Tawilla locality, North Darfur. Mr. Abdul Banate Abdallah Abakar, a 70-year-old died on the spot whilst Mrs. Fatima Abdul Hamid (30) sustained injures in the feet. Both had left the camp and returned to their village in Teardowna to tend to their farms.

Background

For years, armed nomads in Darfur region have targeted IDPs by releasing their livestock on the farms to disrupt their agricultural crops. These militiamen have become a real threat to the agricultural season, especially as it is their custom to attack all those who go out to cultivate their land and get their livestock by force of arms on the farms.

The affected civilians have called on the authorities to intervene and expel the armed pastoralists so that they can cultivate their farms. However, violence has continued as the occupying militants refuses to leave the farms and continue to attack farmers.  On 31 July 2021, ACJPS documented an incident where at least one person was killed and 4 others wounded whilst hundreds of people fled their villages in Tawila locality, North Darfur state, following attacks by armed militias.  No investigations into the attacks have led to prosecutions.

These arbitrary attacks against civilians by armed groups in Darfur region have increased since the exit of United Nations-African Union hybrid peacekeeping mission (UNAMID). United Nations Security Council ended the mandate of UNAMID and it ceased operation on 31 December 2020. The Government of Sudan, which took on the responsibility of providing security in region, has since failed to protect citizens from these arbitrary attacks by the militia. The only effort by Sudanese government has been the deployment of about 12,000 joint troops (6000 from the Sudanese revolutionary front) in fulfillment of the Juba Peace agreement. These attacks and ongoing insecurity in the region exemplify the loss of control by the government of Sudan of armed militias and the lack of rule of law.

For further information, contact Mossaad Mohamed Ali at: mossaad.ali@acjps.org