Darfur IDPs say Sudan building troops, urges world protection
November 6, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese army is building up troops in the three states of Darfur and started crackdown against displaced claimed displaced representative who urged international community to provide them more protection.
Hussein Abu Sharati, Darfur IDPs and refugees’ spokesperson warned that the Sudanese army is building troops around the camps and mobilizes militias out side the towns. He further said more than 4000 vehicles full of troops arrived yesterday.
The displaced spokesperson also accused the Sudanese authorities of hindering the activities of International NGOs like MSF or ARC in the camps.
Abu Sharati condemned also the indiscriminate arrest of the IPDs, according to him police and army arrest displaced when they quit their camps and come in the downtowns.
He added that militias are gathered and mobilized outside the towns. He said they are currently have assembly points in Wadi Saleh, Kaya, Kas etc..
The hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur, which has so far reached less than half of its 26,000 authorized troops, has not yet established presence in all the camps of Darfur. Also, the IDPs since the first African-Union peacekeeping mission didn’t trust African soldiers.
The displaced spokesperson urged the international community to protect them with robust force capable to deter the daily aggressions and violence in the region.
Abu Sharati thought that authorities prepare new attack similar to that of Kalma to dismantle camps which are considered by the government as a shame.
He further underlined that these news developments meant to deprive Abdel Wahid Al-Nur from his popular support in the camps.
According to the UN estimations around 300,000 people were killed in five year conflict. more than 2,2 million fled their homes since the conflict erupted in February 2003. Sudan says 10,000 have been killed.
(ST)