Gold panners say they were attacked near Libyan border

December 11, 2015 (EL-FASHER) – A group of 40 gold prospectors Friday said they were beaten and their belongings looted by rebel fighters from Darfur region near the Libyan border

The fossickers who are from the Rashaida tribe in eastern Sudan claimed that the attack took place near the North Darfur state remote area of Dissa on the border with Libya.

They stated from El-Fasher where they arrived on Friday that the rebels looted three vehicles, eight devices for gold exploration and 40,000 Sudanese pounds.

The gold panners said they had to walk in the desert for five days before to reach Kutum where they contacted the local authorities that transported them to the state capital.

Commenting on the incident, North Darfur state minister for agriculture Mohamed Hamid al-Nahala accused the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) of the attack.

Al- Nahala said the government commitment to ceasefire does not means allowing armed groups to attack civilians; adding that the government will respond at the right time.

Sudanese authorities at different times claimed the SLM-MM’ presence in the troubled Libya but the group denied these allegations and accused Khartoum of backing the Islamist factions in the neighbouring country.

(ST)