North Darfur official accuses SLM-AW fighters of killing two cattle herders
August 28, 2016 (EL-FASHER) – The comissioner of Tawila locality, 60 km west of North Darfur capital, El-Fasher, Adam Yaquob has accused the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW) led by Abdel-Wahid al-Nour of killing and injuring cattle herders on Thursday.
“They tried to steal heads of cattle, goats and sheep but the villagers stood up to them and they fled toward Fanga area in Jebel Marra,” said the commissioner.
“They were about 32 fighters armed with automatic machine guns,” he added
The commissioner pointed that the security committee of his locality immediately arrived at the incident scene, saying the bumpy roads prevented the villagers from pursuing the perpetrators.
He said they had previously warned the cattle herders against approaching the border with Jebel Marra, pointing that outlaws had earlier stolen camels but the security organs managed to retrieve some of them.
Last week, unknown gunmen stole dozens of cattle heads and farming machineries at Tarni area in Tawila locality and ran away.
Thousands of residents were displaced by the intense fighting that had erupted in mid-January between the Sudanese army and the SLM-AW in Jebel Marra area.
Last April, the Sudanese army said its forces captured the last rebel stronghold area of Srounq in Jebel Marra from the SLM-AW. The government warplanes continue to bombard the rebel positions in the area.
The SLM-AW is not part of the African Union brokered process to reach a negotiated settlement of the 13 -year conflict.
The Sudanese army and its allied militia have been fighting a group of armed movements in Darfur since 2003.
According to the United Nations, 200,000 people have been killed in the conflict, and 2, 5 million chased from their homes.
(ST)