Threat of new ‘revenge attack’ on Central Darfur camp

The death toll from an attack by militiamen on Tuesday on the northern Nierteti camp for the displaced in Central Darfur has reportedly increased to three, after secondary school student, Mohamed Zakaria Adam, died of his wounds in the hospital of Nierteti on Tuesday evening. The commission formed to investigate the consequences of the attack reported that 46 households were completely pillaged, 100 camp shops looted, in addition to 30 shops of the “old market” in the camp. According to an initial inventory, the militiamen stole more than 300 mobile phones. They also stole 100 donkeys which they used for transporting the goods taken from the camp. A cash amount of SDG80.000 ($18,000) was taken from livestock dealer Ahmed Omar Younis, also known as Ahmad Lula, when his entire house was pillaged. Younis was also robbed of 140 sheep. One of the members of the investigation commission reported to Radio Dabanga that the militiamen also took 25 sheep from Aisha Younis Abdallah, six sheep from Hawa Mohamed Mousa, 16 sheep from Abdelshakour Adam Abdallah, and eight sheep from Hawa Mousa. He added that hundreds of families fled from the camp into the city of Nierteti. Others fled into the mountains, leaving about 1,000 head of livestock behind. The militiamen reportedly attacked the camp in revenge for the death of a woman selling milk. The woman, named Khadija, fell when her donkey stumbled nearby the camp. She broke her neck and died on the spot, according to four women who witnessed the accident. The woman who died belongs to the same tribe as the militiamen. A man called Mohamed Salih Ali, claiming to be the uncle of Khadija, has threatened the residents of the camp with another attack if the displaced do not pay 110 cows as compensation for his niece’s death, as Ali told Radio Dabanga. On Tuesday, residents of the town of Nierteti were robbed, at gunpoint, of their mobile phones. The agricultural areas outside the town witnessed an assault on farmers and the release of livestock on the farmlands. One farmer was injured. She was transferred to the hospital of Nierteti for treatment. The Commissioner of Nierteti locality, General Mohamed el Hassan confirmed that one citizen was killed and two others injured when the town market was attacked by gunmen. He added that the regular police forces were able to regain control over the situation which has returned to normal. File photo: Albert González Farran/Unamid  Related: ‘Revenge attack’ leaves two dead in Central Darfur camp (8 October 2013)