Police kill two students in Zalingei as mediators wrap-up Darfur tour

December 1, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – At least two people were killed and several wounded Wednesday in Zalingei, West Darfur, when Sudanese police fired shots in the air to disperse a crowd of students who congregated outside the university there.

The incident occurred in front of Zalingei University when the visiting Darfur mediators finished addressing the student gathering and left the campus.

Qatari State minister Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud and Joint Chief Mediator Dijibril Bassole held a meeting with civil society representatives organized by the African Union – United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) when unrest began.

The students asked to speak with the Bassole who, accompanied by the minister Al-Mahmoud came out to address the crowd in an attempt to ease the tension.

However, after the mediator finished his exchange with the students and following his departure with the delegation that accompanied him, some students started to throw stones at the security convoy protecting the delegation.

The mediators were in Darfur to brief civil society on the ongoing peace talks held in Doha and to discuss with them the different options as they have to table a peace agreement to both Khartoum and rebel Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) for signing within two weeks.

In a statement released this evening the Sudanese police said it fired shots in the air to disperse the crowd after students started throwing stones at its soldiers.

The police further accused the supporters of Sudan Liberation Movement leader Abdel Wahid Al-Nur (SLM-Nur) of stirring troubles. The town is a stronghold of the rebel leader who is currently holding consultations in Nairobi before returning to Paris for the SLM leadership meeting on the peace process.

A student source from Zalingei condemned police brutality adding that they just wanted to talk with the mediator to express their concerns about security in the region, and their demand for one region but also wanted to say Khartoum has no real political will to end the conflict.

He further claimed that the police killed three people, two student and civilian, beside three other students who were wounded and taken to the hospital.

In New York, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon regretted “the loss of life” and called to investigate the incident “to ascertain the facts”.

He further said that all parties in the Darfur conflict “must be able to express their views freely”.

On Tuesday the mediators faced tension in Nyala when a group of protesters supporting the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) disrupted a meeting with IDPs representatives at the troubled Kalma camp contesting the representation of delegates selected by the UNAMID.

Al-Mahmoud and Bassole are expected Thursday in Juba where they will hold talks with the Sudanese first vice-president Salva Kiir on the peace process in Darfur.

Sudanese government accused recently the semi-autonomous region of supporting the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). But Southern Sudan officials denied the accusations.

Before flying back to Doha, the mediation team will stop in Khartoum to meet Sudanese officials including the residential Adviser in charge of Darfur file Ghazi Salah Al-Deen Al-Attabani.

The visit of the mediation to Chad will talk place later during the next week.

A delegation from JEM is waiting the mediators in Doha to continue discussions on the resumption of the direct peace talks with Sudanese government.

(ST)