Two die in West Darfur gunmen attack

Two people were killed and five others were injured when gunmen attacked two vehicles in the Jebel neighbourhood of the West Darfur capital El Geneina on Saturday.

The Jebel Neighbourhood Associations said in a statement that the people in the vehicles were unarmed. One of the vehicles was towing the other. The two men killed were Arbab Warla and Sabir Ishag. One of the wounded is Abdelhafiz Yahya. The wounded have been transferred to El Geneina Hospital for treatment.

The perpetrators fled west. Eyewitnesses told Radio Dabanga that institutions, markets and schools closed in response to the incident. They said that gunfire could be heard from the Jebel neighbourhood throughout Sunday. They demand that the perpetrators be arrested immediately and brought to justice.

The eyewitnesses also stated that security forces have failed to protect the people. They demand that the neighbourhood be protected by a permanent force from the army and reserve forces. They do not want the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to protect them.

State of Emergency

The North Darfur wali (governor), Mohamed Arabi, declared the State of Emergency in El Sareif Beni Hussein locality on Saturday as a response to the recent violent events in which 15 people were killed and 15 others were wounded.

The violence in El Sareif Beni Hussein started last Thursday over the appointment of a new chief. Homes and vehicles have been torched.

Disarmament campaign

A campaign to collect weapons and legalise vehicles was launched in East Darfur yesterday morning.

The governor of East Darfur, Mohamed Aliyu, said that the campaign aims to combat crime and regulate so-called Boko Haram vehicles (vehicles without registration and number plates). The Customs Authority estimates that some 100, 000 vehicles have not been registered.