A Terrible Night in El Fasher

March 11, 2007

Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy has received reports of a joint attack on El Fasher by the Sudanese military and Janjaweed militia.  According to three witnesses, numerous assailants descended on the city around 9:00 p.m. on the evening of March 8, 2007, barraging the town with gunfire that lasted until approximately 4:00 a.m. Terrified residents were kept awake through the night while multiple homes were attacked.  At least four civilians have been confirmed dead so far.

When the shooting began, many residents believed the attack was being conducted by government forces in retaliation for a recent rebel attack on a military base located in El Fasher. By morning, however, it was clear that new army of Janjaweed fighters had arrived and spread throughout the city, joining the local Janjaweed militia and government troops based there.  One witness, who asked to remain unnamed, estimated the size of the new force as being between 300 and 500 fighters.  He said that the members of the new force were Arabs, but that he did not recognize their accents or style of dress.  Another witness said that it seemed the whole city was overrun by the new arrivals.

Among those killed were two men who lived in the Um-shidera district, on the south side of El Fasher.  One man was described as being around 53 years old and a member of the Masseleit tribe, while the other was a 58-year-old from the Fur tribe.  Two neighbors who witnessed these killings heard the attackers saying that this was their land and they would not allow the residents to stay there anymore.  The attackers also said that they would “kill all slaves.”

In addition, a man from the Bargo tribe was killed in the central Makaraca district, along with another man believed to be from the Zagawa tribe, who was killed as he was closing up his shop.

Damanga’s sources reported that when the relatives of one victim reported his murder to police on the morning after the attack, they received no response.  Another man who witnessed a killing said that he was threatened by the police when he went to file a report. 

El Fasher is a large town of about 265,000 residents, located approximately 120 miles northeast of Nyala.  The city is the base of operations for the African Union’s peacekeeping force for Darfur, but this has not stemmed the rising tide of violence in the area (see reports from March 5th and 6th at www.damanga.org).  No African Union troops were reported to be present during Thursday’s attacks, and witnesses said that none were seen investigating on the following morning.