Gunmen loot American aid group in South Darfur

August 24, 2013 (NYALA) – An unidentified gunmen looted the office of the American Refugee Committee (ARC) in neighbourhood of the airport in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, on Saturday.

Security sources said the masked assailants threatened two guardians at gunpoint to open the doors of ARC building and stole all computers, electronic devices and all the belongings of the charity group which works in the state since 2004.

The looters also tried to open the safe box but left it behind after moving it to outside the two flour building , the police added.

The aid group formed an ad hoc committee to inventory the stolen items and a police case was opened in Nyala to allow security services to investigate the incident.

The capital of South Darfur state, Nyala, suffers criminal attacks carried out by former militia members who assault regularly commercial convoys and trade stores.

The police said the attack occurred at 02.00am but they only arrived to ARC office at 10.00am, blaming the group for not notifying the incident immediately after the robbery.

ARC provides agricultural livelihoods support to the farmers in South Darfur and runs 16 primary health clinics serving remote communities.

It also maintains a “mix of emergency and recovery programs, serving 350,000 displaced and war-affected people around the city of Nyala” say the website of the humanitarian group.

(ST)