Gunmen kill Chadian military commander in West Darfur

March 16, 2016 (EL – GENEINA) – Unidentified armed group has killed a Chadian commander from the Joint Sudanese-Chadian border patrol forces late night on Tuesday in West Darfur state.

A security source in West Darfur state capital, El-Geneina Wednesday told Sudan Tribune that Maj. al-Nur Abdel-Karim, commander of Baida area, 70 km. south west of El-Geneina was killed by masked gunmen while on patrol in Al-Duh area, 3 km. west of Baida.

He added that the gunmen seized the commander’s Land Cruiser vehicle, saying the stolen car broke down in Rigl Al-Harazaya area between the localities of Baida and El-Geneina.

The same source stressed that the joint force failed to capture the culprits due to poor weather conditions but later apprehended five suspects and they are currently under investigation.

Sudan and Chad established a joint force in January 2010 to monitor their borders within the framework of a normalisation process after long years of proxy war in Darfur and eastern Chad.

The joint force faced immense difficulties particularly with regard to actions of rebel groups and carjacking bands from both countries.

Also, the conflicting Misseriya and Salamat tribes in the bordering town of Um Dokhon accuse some Chadian soldiers within the joint force of being biased toward one of the parties which led to the killing of a Chadian soldier and injury of two others in November 2013.

(ST)