NISS presence dampens UN official’s meeting with Central Darfur displaced

Fear of arrest and persecution prevented leaders, sheiks and omdas representing the displaced of Nierteti in Central Darfur from speaking frankly when they met with UN Director of Africa Affairs at the Department of Peace Keeping operations, Michael J. Kingsley on Thursday.

Kingsley’s visit to Sudan, which started three days ago, is by his own assertion, aimed to boost the bonds of cooperation between the UN-AU peace keeping mission in Darfur and the government, and to get first-hand information about the performance of the Unit on the ground as well as participating in the work group meeting between the two sides which is set to take place on 17 October.

However, a tribal Sheikh told Radio Dabanga that when the group of leaders and omdas met with Kingsley, as well as a delegation from Unamid and Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), several agents of Sudan’s Nation Intelligence and Security Service were also present.

Reprisals

The Sheikh, who preferred not to be named for fear of NISS reprisals, said that the presence of the agents prevented them from speaking their minds to Kingsley, who as a result will have walked away from the meeting without the full picture.

He said the representatives of the displaced had good reason to be afraid, referring to the arrest of 15 of a group of 20 displaced elders, women, and youths, after they met with Donald Booth, the US Special envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, during his visit to Nierteti on 27 July.

Those detainees have all subsequently been released (after reportedly suffering torture and abuse) after the international community expressed its outrage and brought pressure to bear on the Khartoum government, but the Sheikh pointed out that this time, the leaders were taking no chances. He suggested that if Kingsley wishes to assess the full picture in Darfur, he will need to meet with community leaders in an environment where they can speak freely, without the intimidating presence of the NISS.