Civilian Deaths Mount in Darfur as Sudanese Hope For Peace (12/09/2003)

Sudanese government forces have recently increased their numbers in western Sudan due to the ceasefire in other parts of the country with the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA). Government forces and their allies in local Arab militias, or Janjaweed, continue to burn villages, kill or displace civilians, and loot livestock and other property. Tens of thousands of refugees have been forced into Chad , and many more civilians are internally displaced within the war-torn region. The recent ceasefire between the government and the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) has not resulted in any reduction in the targeting of civilians. It is obvious the government's behaviour has not changed, and its recent commitment to resolving the Sudanese civil war peacefully should be regarded with caution.

Here, we report on the recent atrocities committed by the Sudanese army and their local allies in Arab militias, known as the Janjaweed.

On Friday, 5 December 2003, the Janjaweed, supported by government regular forces, attacked Borey and Ferwaly villages in eastern Geneina and killed 10 Massaleit civilians and injured more than 11 others. Many livestock were looted as well as other property. The dead included:

1. Ismail Ibrahim Dahiya.

2. Adam Khatir.

3. Taha.

4. Adam Ibrahim Haroun.

5. Ali Haroun Adam.

6. Mohamed Makki Adam.

7. Mohamed Adam.

8. Mohamed Mahmoud.

The injured included:

1. Abdul-Aziz Ahmed Hajjam.

2. Mohamed Dahiya.

On Thursday, 27 November 2003 , the Janjaweed raided the villages of Gemeza and Arera, and villages in and around Wadi Saleh, Zalengy, Jebel-Marra, and Nyala town. Tens of civilians from the Fur, Dajo, Zaghawa, Massaleit and other African ethnic groups died in the attacks.

On Monday, 17 November 2003 , the Janjaweed attacked Mircheng and Dimoy villages, killing 8 people and injuring several others. They stole 41 head of cattle. The names of the dead are:

1. Mohamed Ibrahim Abdulgani (58 years old).

2. Dr. Mohamed Musa (30 years old).

3. Kamal Hussain Abdulgabar (32 years old).

4. Ismail Haroun Adam (31 years old).

5. Musa Abdalla Yahya (29 years old).

6. Abdalla Adam Yahya (24 years old).

Also, Tiglani, located 14 kilometres from Nyala town, and Amar Gadid villages were raided, leaving 6 persons dead and a truck destroyed. The names of the dead that we are aware of are:

1. Abulgabar Musa Saleh (40 years old).

2. Abdalla Abubakar (17 years old).

3. Mohamed Ahmed (20 years old).

Between Sunday, October 19 th and Wednesday, October 22 nd, thousands of Janjaweed descended on several weekly markets in villages southeast of Geneina town. More than 13 villages in the large swathe of land extending to Morny and Forbranga were plundered. The civilian death toll is in the hundreds. Thousands of people fled to Geneina and Morny towns as well as across the border to Chad and the Central African Republic .

From Thursday, October 9 th to Tuesday, October 21 st, the Arab militias destroyed the villages of Omkardos, Mireir, Kashalango,Wadi-Bullbul, Wadi-Gendy, Nama, Kassmore and others. More than 19 villages in all were destroyed, over 300 people were slaughtered and thousands forced to flee their homes. Several vehicles were looted and hundreds of animals were stolen as well as millions in cash and other goods. The victims were mostly from the Fur, Massaleit, Dajo, Zagawa, Bargo, and Tama ethnic groups. Government soldiers and helicopters were involved in these deadly operations. Some of the names of the dead that we have received are:

1. Idris Mohamed Abdurhaman (30 years old).

2. Saad Omer Abdulkarim (25 years old).

3. Mohamed Abaker Haroun (24 years old).

4. Mohamed Omer (32 years old).

5. Hajera Mohamed Adam (a girl aged 16).

6. Hussain Mohamed Adam (the girl's brother aged 18).

7. Eissa Mohamed Adam (another of the girl's brother aged 20).

8. Abdulmagid Mohamed Abaker (27 years old).

9. Abderahman Mohamed Abaker (40 years old).

10. Adam Abdalla Abderhaman (50 years old).

11. Ahmed Abdalla (61 years old).

12. Eissa Hussain Abdulkarim (31 years old).

13. Adam Hassan

14. Adam Abdalkrim Adam (28 years old).

15. Abaker Musa Mohamed (52 years old).

16. Mohamed Musa Abdalla (64 years old).

17. Hussain Adam Ahmed (29 years old).

18. Adam Osman Yagoub (21 years old).

19. Osman Eissa Abdalla (14 years old).

20. Mussa Hussain Abaker (15 years old).

Many women were gang-raped in Hallof and other villages. These are the names of 4 women out 12 that we know of who were raped by members of the Janjaweed militias.

1. Khadija Ibrahim Abderhaman (20 years old).

2. Hawaa Eissa Mohamed (14 years old).

3. Fatima Abdalla Eissa (19 years old).

4. Fatima Ibrahim Abderhaman (17 years old).

On Wednesday, September 17 th, the Janjaweed, supported by government forces, attacked Beida-Arara town and surrounding Massaleit villages, and killed over one hundred civilians, including the elderly, women and children. Some of the victims are:

1. Arbab Adam Eissa Addom (from Kassieh village).

2. Abdulkarim Abdalla Mohamed (from Kassieh village).

3. Haroun Hamid Mussa (from Kassieh village).

4. Ibrahim Adam Akid (from Kassieh village).

5. Ahmed Hassan Dafallah (Bertabit village).

6. Yousif Adam Al-sheikh (Bertabit village).

7. Abdulhamid Adam Hassan (Bertabit village).

8. Mohamed Abdalla Mohamed (Bertabit village).

9. Yahya Yagoub GUMAA (Bertabit village).

10. Ali Mussa Al-sheikh (Bertabit village).

11. Arbab Abdulkerim Ismail (Bertabit village).

12. Khamis Ibrahim Mohamed (from Haraza town).

13. Mohamed Ahmed Adam (from Haraza village).

14. Abdulkrim Ibrahim Kirlis (from Kassar-alrose).

15. Musa Adam Haroun (from Obuky village).

16. Abulgasim Arbab Khamis (from Obuky village)

17. Guma Hamad GUMA (from Obuky village).

18. Yousif Abdallah Mohamad (from Obuky village).

19. Ahmed Adam Khalifa (from Obuky village).

20. Abdalla Barrah Khamis (from Obuky village).

21. Haroun Abdalla Ismail (from Obuky village).

22. Ahmed Arbab Mussa (from Obuky village).

23. Abderhaman Abdalla Gibril (from Dima village).

24. Adam Ishag Abaker (from Dima village).

25. Abdalla Dahiya Guma (from Dima village).

26. Al-Tijani Mohamed Bkhit (Mejmejy village).

27. Abdalkrim Abdalla Mohamed (Mejmejy village)

28. Ayoub Mohamed ISHAG (from Gunjy village).

29. Adam Soliman Muamin (from Gunjy village).

30. Mohamed Abaker Al-sheikh (from Gunjy village)

31. Khatir Zakarya Abdalla (from Gunjy village)

32. Donga Abdalla Mohamed (from Gunjy village)

33. Khadija Al-hai Abdalla Adam (from Gunjy village)

34. Abdalla Abaker Mohamed (from Gunjy village)

35. Ali Abaker GEIDA (from Meigieno village).

36. Kuty Arbab Adam (from Meigieno village).

37. Saeid Hussain Abdalla (from Meigieno village).

38. Ahmed Abdalla Mussa (from Meigieno village).

39. Khatir Mohamed Yagoub (from Kasseieh village).

40. Khamis Adam Saaid (from Kudo Village ).

41. Hassan Ahmed Abdalla (from Tarbeiba village).

42. Hashim Mohamed Yagoub(from Tarbeiba village).

43. Abdelaziz Ishag Omer (from Tarbeiba village).

44. Ali Adam Mohamed (from Tarbeiba village).

45. Adam Abdalla Mohamed (from Tarbeiba village).

46. Ibrahim Abaker Hamid (from Tarbeiba village).

47. Guma Saeid Idris (from Tarbeiba village).

48. Abdulkrim Adam Mohamed (from Tarbeiba village).

49. Ibrahim Adam (from Tarbeiba village).

50. Mohamed Guma Bassi (from Hajar Soliman village).

51. Adam Ahmed Yagoub (from Hajar village).

52. Adam Abdalla Gumaa (from Arara town).

53. Yousif Yagoub Mohamed (from Arara town).

54. Yousif Sinein Adam (from Arara town).

55. Ahmed Adam Ahmed (from Arara town).

56. Addoma Mohamed Adam (from Arara town).

57. Awad Hassan Omer (from Bawoda village).

58. Sandul Mohamed Hassan (from Seisi village).

59. Kamar Hassan Dafallah (from Seisi village).

60. Mohamed Ahmed (from Seisi village).

61. Abdalla Mohamed Guma (from Seisi village).

The Representatives of the Massaleit Community in Exile (RMCE) is extremely worried by the impending humanitarian crisis in western Sudan , which is the direct result of the civil war in the region. Arab militia attacks have made movement very difficult and frightened cultivators from working in their fields. The livelihoods of the sedentary people who have not yet been 'ethnically cleansed' are in jeopardy. While those who have been forced into exile or to relatively peaceful towns and areas inside Sudan have hardly any access to food and clean water.

While the RMCE appreciates the recent international efforts aimed at bringing a lasting peace to the country, there is need to hold the government to account for its support for Arab militias (the Janjaweed). Also, there is need to send immediate humanitarian assistance to the region to avoid a humanitarian disaster, and to deploy human rights monitors to report on the situation on the ground.