South Darfur: Urgent call for authorities to investigate the killing of 10 political activists and businessmen in Nyala city

(26 November 2023) African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) strongly condemns the continued targeting of civilians by the warring parties and allied militia in Sudan. ACJPS has documented incidents where ten political activists and businessmen were targeted and killed by unknown gunmen in Nyala, South Darfur since the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced seizure of the city. ACJPS urges the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), RSF and affiliated militia to desist from indiscriminate killing of civilians. We further call upon the warring parties and affiliated militia to respect citizens’ right to life and property as provided for in the Constitutional Charter, and regional and international treaties to which Sudan is party. They must also guarantee full humanitarian access throughout Darfur and other parts of the country.

Additionally, we call upon the Sudanese authorities to:

• Launch an independent and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the the killing of the businessmen and political activists and guarantee that their findings are published promptly and within a clear timeframe. The findings of investigations conducted by the Sudanese authorities on previous human rights violations in Darfur have never been published.

• Officially and publicly condemn these unlawful killings of civilians and make it clear that these acts are absolutely prohibited, and perpetrators will be held to account.
• Immediately put in place measures to protect civilians especially those in the Darfur region.

• Repeal all legal provisions granting immunities to members of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces.
• Establish a compensation fund for all the families of the victims of violation of the right to life.

• Ensure access to essential services particularly health services, food and water for displaced civilians.

During the period between 24 October to 6 November 2023, ACJPS documented the extrajudicial killing of at ten political activists and businessmen in Nyala city, South Darfur. The victims were from the Fur, Tama and Zagawa tribes and from the neighborhoods of Aljeer, Alnahda, South Awhada, Alryad and Alandlus. Although the public has pointed fingers at unidentified masked men, ACJPS has been reliably informed that RSF is involved in these killings because they had previously accused the deceased of working/collaborating with SAF whilst they (SAF) were still in control of the town (Nyala) and the 15^th division. All the victims were attacked and killed in the same manner in their homes.

Names of the victims/deceased

1. Abdul Kareem Mohamed Yagoup Idris (m), aged 45
2. Bahja Zargo (f) a political activist, aged 30
3. Idris Suleiman Noreen (m), a business man
4. Marsal Babkir (m), a political activist aged 37
5. Mohamed Ibrahim Bosh (m), aged 53
6. Mohamed Abkar Bakhat (m), a businessman aged 49
7. Ramadan Ibrahim Yogup (m), a businessman aged 28
8. Saleem Eltahir Alzin (m), a political activist aged 40
9. Shmoo Ahmed (m), a political activist
10. Yousef Jumma Haroun (m), a business man aged

Background

The targeting of citizens engaged in business in Darfur has existed since 2014 during the former President Omar Al-Bashir’s regime. The former regime was notorious for targeting merchants from specific tribes in Darfur state as a scheme to further ethnic conflict with a mission to destabilize the economy of Nyala and the region as a whole. RSF has also adopted the trend directly or through affiliated militia to kill citizens who “pose a threat” to their work. ACJPS has previously reported incidents where citizens engaged in business have been abducted and extorted whilst others have been killed for unknown reasons.

Political and human rights activists have not been spared either as they have been targeted by both the Sudanese Army and the Paramilitary RSF forcing many of them to flee to neighboring countries.