Unity state: Five police and one soldier die in Koch-Mayom clashes

admin — Sat, 18 May 2013 23:24:53 +0000

May 17, 2013 (BENTIU) – Five Unity state policemen and one soldier were killed in Buoth district of Koch county on Friday in an attack local authorities have blamed on youth from neighbouring Mayom county.

The incident follows tension and clashes this week along the county border, which separates the Bul Nuer of Mayom and the Jageay Nuer of Koch county.

On Tuesday a cattle raid by Bul Nuer youth killed two civilians and injured three, according to officials. Youth from the Jageay responded with an attack on Mayom county on Wednesday, which killed five Bul Nuer civilians.

Unity state’s deputy governor, Michael Chiengjiek Geay, told Sudan Tribune that the five police officers and a soldier from South Sudan’s wild life services were murdered by a group of around 80 heavily armed young men from Mayom county in Friday’s attack.

They managed to steal 28 cattle, killing one civilian in the process, he said.

Geay says the government has dispatched militarily police to restore calm among the population and has arrested five suspects, adding that civilians shooting dead police was unusual in Unity state.

Residents in Koch county told Sudan Tribune on Friday that an investigation was needed, alleging that Mayom county commissioner, Bol Mayak, had a role in mobilising the young men from his area to carrying out the attack.

Sudan Tribune was unable to reach the commissioner for comment on Friday but the deputy governor said that commissioner Mayak was denies the claims.

“We are working out as the government to find out who is behind these deaths of people and truth will be revealed out soon”, he said.

Cattle raiding, which was a problem before the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between national government of Khartoum and the former rebels Sudan People Liberation Movement, has worsened since 2005.

Decade of civil war have left South Sudan awash with weapons and various attempts to disarm the civilian population have had mixed results. The Unity state deputy governor reaffirmed the SPLM government’s desire to take weapons out of the hands of civilians following the recent attacks.

(ST)

Article source: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article46605

Fuel shortage halts water pumps in Tawila, North Darfur

admin — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:25:16 +0000

The displaced residents of the three Tawila camps of North Darfur are experiencing a scarcity of fuel especially diesel. The knock-on effect is a lack of drinking water and rising prices.

Tawila camps’ residents told Radio Dabanga on Friday that the diesel shortage has caused the water stations in the region to grind to a complete halt. The price of a barrel of water has risen to SDG 8 ($1.80). This has a further negative effect on livestock and vegetable farms that are now threatened by drought unless diesel reaches the camp from El Fasher, the state capital.

In addition to these shortages, there is dire and urgent need for plastic sheeting due to the approaching rainy season. Residents have appealed to the state and local authorities to speed-up the provision of diesel and to the humanitarian organisations to provide aid urgently.

Tawila residents raised similar issues to Radio Dabanga last month.

Article source: http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/49329

‘Militiamen terrorise Darfur’s El Salam camp’: Sheikh

admin — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:25:13 +0000

Displaced people from El Salam camp in Nyala are concerned about continuous militia attacks against them saying that the militiamen fire gunshots at night in the air.

Sheikh Mahjoub Adam Tabaldiya told Radio Dabanga that the incidence of attacks by armed militiamen against displaced people and then terrorising them by firing shots at night, is still frequent.

The most recent event was on Thursday, when an armed group stormed the camp and started firing into the air from 11 pm until 1am on Friday.

He explained that this incident created a “state of terror and fear in the hearts of the displaced”, adding that the same militia stormed the camp on Wednesday night and opened fire on Abdel Hamid Mohamed Ahmed, who was injured and taken to a hospital in Nyala.

The sheikh demanded authorities in Nyala and Unamid provide security for displaced people, patrol the camp at night, and hold militiamen accountable for any crimes they commit.

The sheikh also told Radio Dabanga that between Thursday and Friday El Salam received a new batch 140 displaced families who were fleeing several areas in South Darfur.

He said that 40 families arrived from Hijer Raad, another 30 from Younis village and 14 from Abu Jabra on Thursday.

Friday saw the arrival of 25 families from Ishma, nine from Donkey Deresa, 22 from Umm Gunja. This brings the current number of displaced at El Salam to 86,000, but more continue to arrive, Sheikh Tabaldiya said.

He noted that the displaced persons are living without water, food, and shelter, and appealed to humanitarian organisations and the Humanitarian Aid Commission to provide food, water and tarpaulins.

File photo

Related: UN: more than 300,000 Darfur displaced in five months (16 May 2013)

Article source: http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/49330