Human rights defender fatally assassinated in South Darfur following abduction
August 4, 2023 (NYALA) – A human rights defender in Nyala was assassinated on Friday by an armed force suspected to be affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Journalist Issa Dafa Allah, reporting from Nyala, informed Sudan Tribune that “the bodies of lawyer and human rights defender Ahmed Abdallah and an employee, Adam Omer, were discovered on the Nyala-El-Fasher road, less than 24 hours after they were abducted by gunmen.”
The incident occurred just one day after they were kidnapped, and their captors had demanded a ransom for their release.
Nyala, a city deeply affected by intense fighting between the army and the paramilitary force, is currently grappling with an unprecedented security crisis due to the widespread presence of armed militias supporting the Rapid Support Forces. These armed groups are actively involved in looting markets and civilian homes.
According to Dafa Allah, the two deceased individuals were abducted on Thursday evening by an armed group dressed in RSF uniforms. The kidnappers used a Land Cruiser vehicle and were armed with automatic weapons when they took the victims from their home in the Al-Rahman neighbourhood in Nyala.
The kidnappers contacted the families of the victims on the same day and demanded approximately 30 million Sudanese pounds as ransom for their release.
“Today, representatives of the victims’ families visited the Rapid Support Forces headquarters to inquire about the situation. However, the forces’ command responded that the kidnappers are not affiliated with their organization, but rather they are independent groups. This has left the family perplexed upon discovering the bodies lying on the road,” he added.
He stressed that this incident serves as an alarming indication of the targeting and elimination of community leaders and prominent figures in South Darfur state, much like the occurrences in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, over the past three months.
The human rights defender in South Darfur, was one of the brave individuals who actively opposed the violations against civilians amidst the violent war that has engulfed Sudan for approximately four months, pitting the army against the Rapid Support Forces.
On Thursday, the Darfur Bar Association issued a warning, expressing concerns about any harm that might come to Ahmed Abdallah amid the ongoing security chaos in South Darfur. The association also appealed to human rights groups to take action and work towards securing his release.
Since April 15, Nyala has been witnessing intense clashes between the army and the RSF, resulting in the loss of many lives among the civilian population.
To temporarily halt the fighting in Nyala, civil leaders managed to divide the city into two zones. The western part fell under the control of the Sudanese army, while the eastern part was under the authority of the paramilitary force. Despite this attempt at resolution, the clashes between the two parties resumed with even greater ferocity.
(ST)