African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies ACJPS | المركز الافريقي لدراسات العدالة و السلام
(16 July 2020) The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) calls on the Sudan Transitional Government to urgently investigate the killing of 12 peaceful protesters and injury of 14 others that occurred on 13 July 2020 in Fata Borno near Kotoum City in North Darfur state. The Transitional Government should urgently set up an independent and impartial commission to ensure an immediate and effective investigation into the full scale of the killing and injury, identify those responsible, and hold them accountable.
ACJPS further calls on the Transitional Government to:-
- Promptly take effective security measures to ensure that civilians in Darfur are protected from these arbitrary attacks by armed militias.
- Ensure that right to peaceful protests by civilians is respected.
- Reform the police force to play the role of providing protection to civilians
- Urgently disarm civilians and all armed groups/militias
On 13 July 2020, a high-level delegation from the government of North Darfur state, including members of the state’s security committee visited the Fata Borno sit-in that started since 6 July 2020. The main demands of the sit-in protesters are better security, protection of crops, and the dismissal of officials affiliated with the regime of deposed President, Omar Al Bashir.
The security committee in a statement mentioned that it received a memorandum containing six demands of the sit-ins, responded to three of them immediately, and formed a committee of the sit-in to follow-up the rest of the demands because they are service demands, which require research.
The security committee further stated that some of the protestors called for an orientation meeting with the security committee but some disagreed thus the security committee cancelled the meeting and returned to El Fashir by plane. The rest of the delegation from the media and members of the security forces travelled back by vehicle, and upon entering the Kotoum city, they found streets blocked by protesters. Vehicles carrying the delegation were surrounded by protesters from all sides with demonstrators throwing stones which led to the injury of some of members of the delegation. The delegation sought refuge at Kutoum police headquarters but protesters burned down the police station and 4 vehicles. A reliable source informed ACJPS that the reason protesters blocked the delegation was because the delegation first visited villages occupied by the Arab armed militias who have violently attacked them for years.
On the same day, armed militias on four wheel drive viechcles, motorcycles and horse backs raided Fata Barno and fired indiscriminately live ammunition at the protesters at the sit-in killing 12 people and injuring 14 others. Nine of the deceased have been buried in el fashir and another in fata Barno. A state of emergency has since been declared in the state until further notice.
ACJPS has received names of some of the deceased. They include;
- Abdalla Abakr Ahmed
- Abdalla Ibrahim Mohamed
- Abubaker Ibrahim Abdalla
- Ahmed Ibrahim Mohamed
- Ishag Abaker Mohamed
- Khadeeja Ibrahim Mohamed
- Khalid Fedail Hamid
- Mohamed Aballa Jofoon
- Noor Aldeen Salih
- Yasir Abadlla Ibrahim
The injured include;-
- Abaker Ibrahim Musa
- Abdalla Jouma Khamees
- Adam Abaker Mohamed
- Adam Suliman Ibrahim
- Adel aziz Fadoul Shareef
- Ahmed Sideeg Ahmed
- Hassan Ibrahim Mohamed
- Ibrahim Adam Mohamadain
- Ibrahim Mansoor
- Jamal Ahmed Gabayil
- Mohamadain Ahmed
- Mustaf Abdalla Ibrahim
- Mustafa Mohamed Adam
- Suliman Yousif Adam
Background
Of recent there has been increased attacks by armed militias against civilians, mainly internally displaced persons across Darfur region. These attacks have left scores dead, several injured and property destroyed. ACJPS documented the killing and injury of civilians in Central, North and South Darfur in June 2020 by armed militias. Another incident took place in May 2020 in Central Darfur. These attacks and tribal clashes in the region reflect the urgent need for implementation of the transitional justice program by the Transitional government across Sudan.
Contact:
Mossaad Mohamed Ali, Executive Director, African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies. (English, Arabic, Swedish): +46727712782, mossaad.ali@acjps.org
