Illegal brew brings Sudan refugees cash and trouble
Feb 7, 2006 (RIYAD CAMP, Sudan’s Darfur) — For Sudanese refugees languishing in camps in the arid west of the country brewing alcohol is a source of money, a source of pleasure and a source of trouble.
Alcohol is forbidden under Sudan’s sharia law but Zahra Abdallahi and others at the Riyad Camp in Darfur say they are driven to producing Mereissa, a drink close to beer, because of financial necessity.
With an eye to comedy, the area of the camp where Mereissa is made has been dubbed Abuja, after the Nigerian capital where seemingly endless peace talks between the Khartoum government and rebels who are fighting them unfold.
Mereissa-drinkers, like the delegates to the peace talks, take life slow.
“My husband has no work and there are very few ways to get hold of money,” said Abdallahi, a mother of five, as she sifted through the grain she will use for Mereissa.
She fled to the camp two years ago after an attack on her hometown of Sanawi, a walk of two days.
More than 2 million Darfuris have fled their homes to camps in a region bordering Chad during three years of violence which Washington has branded genocide. Most are too afraid of being attacked to return home and consigned to a life of hardship.
“I will get about 500 Sudanese pounds ($0.22) for a bowl full,” said Fatna, who declined to give her family name.
She said selling mereissa and collecting and selling firewood was her only income.
UNSAVOURY CLIENTS
Mereissa consumers include refugees who fail to get enough food from aid agencies working in the camp and drink to stave off hunger and perhaps escape temporarily from life in the camp.
But soldiers also buy alcohol and get drunk before attacking camps around el-Geneina, according to foreign aid workers.
Darfuris say the attacks have escalated in recent weeks with the last one on Sunday night.
“Two men dressed in khaki came at night with Kalashnikovs … and tried to rob me,” said Ibrahim Ismail Musa. He managed to eventually scare them off.
But Halloum Suleiman was not so lucky. Showing a large scar on her thigh where she was shot in the camp, she said: “The Arabs come here every night. They are not regular army but they wear the same uniforms.”
The United Nations says Sudan armed Arab militias to fight a revolt by mostly non-Arab tribes. The militias stand accused of a campaign of rape, looting and killing. Khartoum denies the charge.
The International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes in Darfur. Sudan insists it can disarm the militias but in West Darfur security is so bad U.N. humanitarian workers cannot leave the main town by road.
Men in camouflage-coloured uniforms roamed around the makeshift straw huts in Riyad camp just outside West Darfur’s main town, el-Geneina but residents warned visitors not to approach them.
“They will beat you if you go and ask them anything,” said one man. “They are constantly here drinking.”
($1 = 2300 Sudanese pounds)
(Reuters)