Photo: A picture taken during the attacks by Arab herders on camps and villages near El Geneina on December 29-30 (RD)
FFC West Darfur delegation: ‘Violence fomented by deep state’
Report from Radio Dabanga.org
Dated 06 January 2020 - EL GENEINA
The delegation of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) that concluded a three-day visit to West Darfur yesterday, said that the violence in El Geneina last week that killed more than 80 people and displaced at least 47,000 was not tribal.
Dr Maryam El Sadig, co-vice president of the National Umma Party (NUP) and member of the FFC delegation, told the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) yesterday that all members of the delegation agreed on this.
She said that the attacks on the two Kerending camps, surrounding villages, and districts near the state capital El Geneina, were the result of “elements of the deep state achieving their personal interests”.
El Sadig said the people the delegation spoke to assured them of their commitment to peaceful coexistence, non-aggression, adherence to the law, and the spirit of the revolution.
‘Situation contained’
The acting military governor of West Darfur said that the efforts of the Sovereign Council and the Council of Ministers to contain the situation have been successful. They managed to address “90 per cent of the causes of the problems”. He claimed arrangements are underway to reach an ultimate solution.
The curfew has been lifted to open the way for humanitarian organisations to deliver aid to those affected.
The governor also said the markets have reopened and commercial trucks that had been stranded in Zalingei because of the violence are arriving from Omdurman.
Many of the victims blame ‘janjaweed’ or ‘militant herders in vehicles belonging to the Rapid Support Forces militia’ for the violence. They also claim the West Darfur state government had prior knowledge of the attacks that started on December 28 and did nothing to prevent or stop it.
Attorney General Tajelsir El Hibir appointed a fact-finding investigation committee into the El Geneina violence on Thursday. El Hibir took part in the government delegation that visited El Geneina last week in order to assess the situation.
Earlier today, El Hibir announced that the investigation committee has started its work. It will do so “in full neutrality, transparent and highly professional” and it is “ready to receive complaints from the public”.
Aid
The Businessmen’s Association announced the launch of a “They Are Relatives” initiative to help the victims of the El Geneina attacks.
The Association's information secretary, Mohamed El Amin Tebeidi, said at a press conference in Khartoum on Sunday that the association “so far collected more than SDG 1 million to support those affected with food and medicines”.
The businessmen also plan to set up a campaign in the area raising awareness of the importance of peace, spreading love, lending a hand, helping families affected by the war in the region, and removing grievances.
Sudanese activists started solidarity projects last week.
Members of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan (OCHA) visited El Geneina, as part of a broader delegation, which included government officials from the Sudanese Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Social Development and Welfare, and representatives of WFP and Unicef.
According to OCHA some 40.000 people have been displaced. Approximately 5,000 people have crossed the border into Chad, seeking refuge in villages near the border with Sudan.
View Original: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/ffc-west-darfur-delegation-violence-fomented-by-deep-state
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High Committee: ‘West Darfur crisis not tribal’
Report from Radio Dabanga.org
Dated 09 January 2020 - EL GENEINA / KHARTOUM
Photo: Displaced children play among salvaged belongings after the violence in El Geneina (RD)
The High Committee for Managing the West Darfur Crisis, which began on December 28, 2019 around El Geneina, and claimed dozens of lives last month, asserts that “the events were not tribal, as has been reported by the media”. International humanitarian efforts are underway to assist more than 40,000 people displaced by the violence.
On Wednesday, the committee said in a press conference held at the Teiba Press Hall in Khartoum that based on evidence and facts, such as audio recordings, written evidence, and a statement by the University of El Geneina, in addition to the circumstantial facts in the place of the events, such as killing, fire, rape, and theft, confirm that the events are not tribal.
The committee holds the responsibility for the incidents to “the state’s governor, the security committee, and other defendants”.
Member of the committee, lawyer Abdo reported that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) government militia in El Geneina is holding members of the regular forces and civilians.
He said that these detainees have not been charged. He described the step as a crime, noting that the RSF do not have the jurisdiction to detain any person, and demanded that the authorities release the detainees immediately.
The High Committee for the Management of West Darfur Crisis stated that 180 cases of assault with gunfire, nine cases of murder, three cases of rape, and 18 armed robberies in West Darfur preceded the recent events.
The committee noted in the conference that throughout these events, individuals or groups did not move to attack an ethnic group, village or settlement in a sign that affirming that the events were not tribal.
The committee appealed to international organisations and others to contribute to resolving the crisis, noting that the affected people are now in urgent need for tents, shelter, water, food, and health services.
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