Khartoum attack: Ahmed: “I was convinced I was going to die”

July 1, 2008 (EL GAILI) — Fatima (not her real name) thought her son was dead until she saw his name in the newspaper. He was among about 90 children listed as participants in a rebel attack near the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, in May, which reportedly killed 200 people and injured hundreds of others.

Fatima’s son, Ahmed, 15, had been missing since October. When she read of his capture, she travelled for three days from her village in Darfur to a government-run camp for children it says were recruited by the opposition rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). The group denies this claim. During their reunion, Fatima heard her son tell his story for the first time.

The government invited IRIN to the camp, more than an hour’s drive north of Khartoum, in an isolated centre enclosed by a barbed-wire fence. The boy told his story to IRIN through a translator and in the presence of a government official.

“JEM people captured me from my village when I was taking my animals to the desert. I had no choice. I put my faith in God and went with them.

“They trained me in Darfur. After that they took me to Um Jaras in Chad and also trained me there. Then we went directly to [the Chadian capital] N’djamena and we met some JEM officials there. I spent two months there.

“When I went to Chad, I met one of their leaders. I was working as a servant, cleaning their rooms and making food for them.

“Sometimes they treated me well, sometimes not. If I made any mistakes, they tied my hands together and beat me.

“On our way to Khartoum, we stayed in the Jabal Issa area. For three days, planes fired upon us. We walked for five days in the desert. We went to Al-Dabba in North Sudan. Many cars awaited us there. They told us, ‘Khartoum is only 100km away. We will not allow anybody to go back. We will go directly to Khartoum. If you go back, we’ll kill you. If there are injured, leave them and keep going.’

“When they told me that, I thought I was going to die, because I had no choice. I did not have a gun. They tied my hands together and did not untie them until we arrived in Omburdman [a city across the Nile River from Khartoum]. We went directly to Khartoum and we were fighting on the bridge. In the clashes, our vehicle was shot at. There were about 12 people in the car. Nine of them were killed.

“We went to [a nearby] market. We found [JEM leader] Khalil Ibrahim there. There were some clashes between the government and our forces but we didn’t know anything after that. I went to stay in a mosque in Omdurman.

“What they did is wrong. They brought me under threat [from a gun]. I would not have followed them otherwise.

“The next day, a police officer found me and asked if I had worked with the JEM. I said yes. They took me in for questioning.

“They brought me to this camp. It’s very comfortable. They bring me everything I need. At this centre, I read the Koran and perform the call to prayer.

“I am very happy to see my mother and my brothers, and I miss my home.

“I hope to finish my education and reunite with my family and friends. This is my hope.”

(IRIN)