Email
Print
Save
November 8, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – A United Nations-African Union verification team has reported that a North Darfur village was totally abandoned by its inhabitants following a recent attack carried by a pro-government militia.
- Properties left behind by the population of Sigili, North Darfur, who abandoned the village due to the attack by an armed force last Friday, 2 November. (UNAMID)
On 2 November militiamen attacked Sigili, a village inhabited by Zaghawa ethnic group located at 40 kilometres southeast of Al Fasher, North Darfur State. According to the African Union, United Nations peacekeeping mission, UNAMID, 10 people were killed. But Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the death toll reached 13 people.
A UNAMID team reached the village on 6 November to verify reports about this attack. Previously on 3 November, Sudanese police prevented a UNAMID team from attaining Sigili.
"The team found Sigili village completely deserted, with apparent signs of an abrupt departure," UNAMID said in a statement released on Thursday.
"It also noticed several signs of destruction of housing and property, killed animals, and burnt houses," the release added, stressing the ammunition was founded in different parts of the village to indicate the extent of the attack.
Witnesses told Human Rights Watch that the assailants who are members of the Popular Defence Forces (PDF), belong to the Berti tribe, another African ethnic group in the region but are at enmity with the Zaghawa.
The rebel Sudan Liberation Movement of Minnin Minnawi said the attackers aimed to dislodge the villagers from the land where they are settled.
The Sudanese army broke its old alliance with Darfur Arab groups who participated in the counter-insurgency attacks of 2003-2005 where militias committed atrocities and war crimes against Darfur civilians.
UNAMID said another verification team sent to Abu Delek village, at 60 kilometres southeast of Al Fasher – to verify a similar attack - was stopped by members of the Popular Defence Forces.
The militiamen, according to UNAMID, stopped the convoy and insisted on searching its nine vehicles, before the team decide to return to Al-Fasher.
This was the second time that the peacekeepers decide to cancel their visit to Abu Delek. On 25 October a UNAMID convoy heading to the area came under heavy gunfire from a group of unknown gunmen.
(ST)
Latest Comments & Analysis
National unity: a project for each and every South Sudanese 2013-05-21 14:23:01 By Jacob K. Lupai May 21, 2013 - South Sudan has just attained independence from an imposed unity that had failed miserably to take into account the objective realities on the ground. In the old (...)
Unity and reconciliation necessary for sustainable peace in Darfur 2013-05-21 14:19:47 By Adeeb Yousif May 20, 2013 -The biggest challenge in the Darfur conflict today is divisions. These divisions have created misunderstanding and mistrust within Darfurian society. Moreover they (...)
The Invasion of Abyei: two years of more agony 2013-05-20 05:39:13 By Luka Biong Deng May 19, 2013 - On 21st May 2013, the people of Abyei have spent two years of more agony and they will remember again the sad memories of how their lives and livelihoods were (...)
MORE