Trader is shot dead at Rumbek bus station

By Manyang Mayom

July 13, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – An unknown shooter murdered a leading businessman in Rumbek, the capital of Lakes state, during the robbery of a bus arriving in Rumbek on Monday at 4 a.m.

At dawn, Amir Ibraham, well-known as Altif Shabli, a northern Sudanese businessman from Gezira State was murdered within the town centre and market of Rumbek during the robbery. The bus station where the attack took place is located next to Nile Commercial Bank (NCB) in Rumbek town.

According to an eyewitness, “we were coming from Western Bahr El-Ghazal (Wau) using our commercial bus and upon our arrival to Rumbek bus station we were rounded up and all our moneys were looted as late Amir raised up his voice – immediately the assailant shot him dead and then the group ran away.” He also added that those assailants were not in casual clothes, but dressed in camouflage.

The chairman of the trade union representing businessmen of Darfur in Lakes state affirmed that late Amir Ibrahim had run a petrol station in Rumbek since 2007, working on good terms with local people.

Ibrahim’s slaying happened to take place between the police station and Prisons office of Rumbek. In the aftermath of the death, confirmed in the early morning, all businessmen from Northern Sudan operating in Rumbek ordered the closure of their shops since 7:00 a.m. The majority of such business owners who work in Rumbek market are from Darfur, while there are also Equatorians and businesswomen serving in the bar areas and a few Dinka men who own private shops.

One resident of Rumbek, Akolde, affirmed that “this move (to close the market) was viewed by ordinary citizens of Lakes state as strange, because this is not the first that cases of such a nature (murder) have occurred in Rumbek town. Local people at times do confront each other in broad daylight and nevertheless the market has never closed.”

This last year alone witnessed several murder cases of foreigners in Lakes state, starting with a Kenyan and Tanzanian who work at the garage as machine men. Moreover, the Lakes state police usually carry out investigation and yet no results have reached the public.

Meanwhile, a Lakes state policeman ensured Sudan Tribune by phone that all investigations that were carried out have shown that all murders of such single killings are attributable to individual quarreling, affairs with women or rivalry with other friends from one’s homeland over business issues.

A businessman, Mr. Makur Majok said “the closure of the shops operated by Northerners indicated that we are not one Sudanese seeking for a united Sudan — the killing of Amir Ibrahim is pathetic and is as a result of lack of rule of law in Lakes state. How can a killer run away just in between two placed that are controlled by governments institutions of Police and Prisons, without intervention to be rounded up and captured on spot, after the gun shot was heard?” he asked.

Majok concluded that “We have stated many times that General Daniel Awet Akot is not a leader to governance in Lakes state affairs. He is an inconsistent fellow. He has no idea of leadership, but our President Gen. Kiir keeps him here. The assailant remains unapprehended. No one knows of his whereabouts nor whether he will be traced by Police or not.”

For the Lakes state ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Secretary Samuel Mathiang Keer said the party secretariat strongly condemned the incident and he urged all Lakes state citizens to remain calm until the murderer is located.

Mr. Keer affirmed that the coffin of late Amir had been transported to Western Bahr-El-Ghazal state this afternoon.

(ST)