Three students killed, two injured by militias in South Darfur
September 16, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Three students were killed and two others injured on Thursday by armed groups in the locality of Kass, 86 km west of South Darfur capital, Nyala.
Hundreds of the victims’ relatives have traced the perpetrators while the state’s security committee held an emergency meeting to take the legal measures to bring the culprits to justice.
A traditional administration leader in the locality of Kass, who spoke to Sudan Tribune on the condition of anonymity, said 3 armed groups have deliberately shot 5 high schools students in Diginj area, 15 km south of Kass, pointing that 3 of them died immediately and 2 others sustained serious wounds and were transferred to Nyala Teaching Hospital.
He added the students were spending Eid al-Adha vacation with their families.
The same source pointed that the killing incident was carried out by armed groups who have seized homes and lands of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Shattaya area, stressing the same groups had threatened to obstruct the peace and social coexistence conference which was recently held in the area.
“The armed groups have bluntly said they don’t recognize the Shattaya conference even if [its recommendations] are signed by the President of the republic” said the source.
He pointed the negative activities of the armed groups have significantly increased following the signing of the social and peaceful conference recommendations in clear defiance of the state government.
The same source said they submitted a formal complaint to the governor’s office in Nyala demanding him to put an end to the outlaws who prevent the return of the IDPs to their original villages and undermine security, stressing the need to deploy troops to protect the residents according to the recommendations of the Shattaya conference.
Last August, the Shattaya conference for peaceful coexistence was held under the auspices of the Sudanese Presidency in order to encourage voluntary return of the IDPs in South Darfur.
The conference called for the need to end control of the armed militias and new settlers and hand over lands and villages to the IDPs.
On Wednesday, Governor of South Darfur state Adam al-Faki said that arrangements are underway for the visit of President Omer al-Bashir to the locality of Shattaya to attend the social peace conference.
Al-Faki pointed that 113 IDPs have received their original homes and lands in the locality of Shattaya, vowing to reinstate all residents’ rights in the locality.
He accused those who seek to achieve personal interests of obstructing peace efforts, stressing they would deal with them decisively.
UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in Darfur conflict since 2003, and over 2.5 million were displaced.
(ST)