Omda, three farmers shot dead in Darfur

A farmer and his son were shot dead in an attack by gunmen in Tawila locality in North Darfur on Tuesday. In Central Darfur, a farmer was killed as well. On Monday, an omda was shot dead in West Darfur.

Farmer Ahmed Ismail (65) was harvesting his crops with his two sons at their farm near Mertal village in Tawila locality on Tuesday afternoon, when a group of armed men shot at them. Ismail and his son Abkar (12) were killed instantly.

His son Abdelghani (15) had to be transferred to El Fasher Teaching Hospital for treatment of his broken feet.

People from Mertal and Tawila took the two bodies to El Fasher in a rally, and organised a vigil in front of the residence of the North Darfur governor on Wednesday.

A number of notables of Mertal village spoke at the vigil. They denounced the attacks on villagers in Tawila locality that began in the beginning of this month.

According to the village leaders, a group of militiamen showed off their weapons at the market of Mertal on Tuesday morning. They then went to Ismail's farm “in full view of the authorities” and killed him and his son.

The notables described the attackers as “militiamen affiliated with the government”, as they carried weapons used by government militias, and rode in a military vehicle. Tawila locality suffers the most from security problems, they said. The only two vehicles available to the local police are broken. They made it clear that their protest will continue until the militiamen are disarmed, and security and stability has returned to the locality.

Governor of North Darfur Mohamed Arabi addressed the vigil, saying that the state government is responsible for any violent incident caused by the regular forces “represented by the army, police, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces”.

Any other militias not affiliated with the government will be dealt with according to the law, he said.

Arabi acknowledged that “the new government inherited a complicated situation”, explaining that the armed forces and police in Sudan’s 18 states “face great problems”. He promised to address the problems “according to the possibilities”.

The governor further said that a comprehensive change in the leadership of the regular forces in North Darfur. “On Tuesday, they decided on the collection of weapons from civilians.”

Other attacks

In Central Darfur, Abdelshafi Ahmed (75) was killed at his farm near Nierteti on Tuesday evening.

Three armed men wearing military uniforms shot at the farmer and his son who were tending his farm at about 21:30 on Tuesday, Adam Okar told Radio Dabanga. Ahmed was killed instantly. His son managed to escape. The attackers then stole their belongings.

On Monday evening, Omda Mohamed Dosa was shot dead by gunmen riding on motor vehicles in the area of ​​Um Tajouk in West Darfur.

Mohamed Khater reported to this station that three gunmen shot Dosa. The omda died of his wounds while being transferred to a hospital in the state capital El Geneina.

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