Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy One of many destroyed villages in Darfur Sudan
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Pro-Government Arab Militias Murder Six Peasants in Western Sudan (9/11/02)

During the recent peace talks at Machakos, Kenya, Sudanese government-sponsored Arab militias continued to kill African peasants in western Sudan. On Tuesday, 13 August 2002, Arab militiamen attacked several Massaleit villages in Mastari area, south of Geneina town, early in the morning and killed 6 Massaleit civilians and stole 130 heads of cattle, which they drove towards the Chadian border. More than 8 people were injured in the raid.

We received information about the identity of only three of the dead:

1. Mattar Dayoo: a man in his fifties from Tondosa village and the owner of most of the stolen cattle.

2. Gohni Abderhaman: a man in his forties from Sisi village.

3. Adam Tocha: a man of unknown age from Sisi village.

The Sudanese government backs the Arab militias with training, arms, munitions and other supplies and explains away their gross violations of human rights, including ethnic cleansing, as acts of tribal competition over dwindling resources.

Under the cover of the recent Machakos peace talks, which have stalled, the Sudanese government and its allied militias have intensified attacks against Africans in western Sudan. We urge the international community to maintain the pressure on the Sudanese government until it stops the daily murder of innocent civilians.

The Representatives of the Massaleit Community in Exile collects information about events in Western Sudan from first-hand accounts delivered through contacts in Sudan.

© MMVI DAMANGA