Gunmen kill two displaced in Darfur largest camp

April 23, 2008 (NYALA) — Unidentified gunmen killed two persons in Darfur largest Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in south Darfur following an attack against the medical center of the camp.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune, Hussein Abusharati, the spokesperson of the Darfur displaced and refugees said the assailants started shooting sporadically killing a woman and a man after their failure to break the door of the clinic inside Kalma camp.

“They entered Kalama camps at 4 a.m. local time while the displaced sleeping then they shot the doors of the hospital inside the camps trying to force it. The population heard the detonation of the guns and came outside their shelters. Then trying to escape, the attackers started shooting sporadically.” He said.

According to Abusharati it was impossible to identify the attacker due to the darkness.

He further said that they had informed the hybrid peacekeeping forces of the repeated attacks against the camps by these unidentified people who infiltrate inside the camp.

“Three weeks ago we notified these attacks to the hybrid forces but they did noting. This is why we demand the presence of European troops.” He added.

The displaced spokesperson further said the peacekeepers arrived to the camp at 3 p.m. local time.

“The Sudanese government has repeatedly tried to dismantle Kalma camp and relocate its residents by force to unsafe areas, without any security guarantees or humanitarian aid,” said Peter Takirambudde, Africa director at Human Rights Watch, on 31 October 2007.

Sudanese government attempted several times to close Kalma camp, home to at least 90,000 people and one of the largest camps for displaced persons in Darfur.

Yesterday Kalma displaced among other camps in the troubled Darfur staged protests against the national fifth census and prevented enumerators to enter the camp.

“We fully reject this counting operation because there is no peace and we do not trust the outcome of this census.” Abusharati said yesterday. “People want security and to return to their villages before.” He added.

The U.N. said on Tuesday the latest figures showed more than 300,000 people might have died during five years of fighting in Sudan’s remote west. Khartoum puts the death count at 9,000.

(ST)