Traditional gold prospector killed by gunmen in North Darfur

November 25, (El-Fasher) – A traditional gold prospector on Thursday was killed by three gunmen in North Darfur state.

The incident occurred in Hashaba gold mine in the locality of Kutum on Thursday evening as three gunmen opened fire at the gold prospector Adam Abdallah Adam.

A relative of the victim by the name of Ibrahim Essa told Sudan Tribune Saturday the gunmen had threatened the victim before to shoot him, saying gold prospectors managed to capture the culprits and handed them over to the authorities.

He added a security force including the police and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has arrived from Kutum and received the perpetrators, saying we demand the government to bring an RSF unit to protect the gold mines.

Last August, the Sudanese authorities launched a six-month disarmament campaign to eliminate illegal weapons in the conflict-affected areas in Sudan, particularly in Darfur region.

On 11 October, 10,000 RSF militiamen arrived in North Darfur to contribute to establishing security in the troubled state and support the mandatory phase of the disarmament campaign.

The RSF militia was originally mobilised by the Sudanese government to quell the insurgency that broke out in Sudan’s western region of Darfur in 2003.

Earlier this year, the Sudanese parliament passed RSF Act which integrates the notorious militia in the Sudanese army and provides that its commander is appointed by the President of the Republic.

(ST)