North Darfur’s Saraf Umra tyrannised by local militias

10/12/2015 14:10

The residents of Saraf Umra locality, North Darfur, complain about local militia leaders terrorising the area with fake courts and the torture of people. The people renewed their demands to the Governor of North Darfur to restore the rule of law, and arrange for the return of the police, prosecutors, and the judiciary to the area, “as happened in North Darfur’s Kutum locality in November”.

The residents of Saraf Umra locality, North Darfur, complain about local militia leaders terrorising the area with fake courts and the torture of people.

The people renewed their demands to the Governor of North Darfur to restore the rule of law, and arrange for the return of the police, prosecutors, and the judiciary to the area, “as happened in North Darfur's Kutum locality in November”.

Multiple sources reported to Radio Dabanga that the militia leaders are ruling over the area as tyrants. “They are terrorising us with their inhumane and arbitrary practices,” one of them said.

“Omda Mohamed Kajam, a local militia leader, in his role as judge, convicted three man for stealing last week. He had them tied to trunks, They were then flogged and tortured them as punishment.

“Kajam imposes fines of up to SDG10,000 ($1,635) to people accused of a petty crime. It happens that people raise a complaint to the omda, and claim that a cow or camel is found dead near the fence of a certain person. The omda then detains the person, tortures him, and sentences him to pay a fine of up to more than SDG7,000 ($1,145) to the complainant,” he reported.

The sources said that there are two other militia leaders of the militias practising the same abusive methods, omda Hamid Madri, and omda Ahmed Khater Ibrahim.

People raised a complaint to the Governor of North Darfur, Abdelwahid Yousef, during his recent visit to Saraf Umra. “The governor instructed the locality commissioner to stop such practices that represent a violation of human rights, but the instructions have not been implemented so far.”

The residents renewed their appeal to the governor and the commissioner to abolish these militia courts, and restore the rule of law in the locality.

In November, police returned to North Darfur's Kutum after an absence of nearly four years, owing to the State of Emergency, imposed by the North Darfur authorities in 2012. Military forces were assigned to take over security control in the locality.