Account of Incidents in Darfur, May 2002-Feb.2003


5/10/2002:

A group of armed persons attacked Katengeer, they killed three (Ommdas), traditional tribal leader and one fur person.
 1. Mohammed Hassab Alla (Shartai)
 2. Adam Hassab Alla ( School Master, Katengeer primary school)
 
 The people of the area called for volunteers for man  hunt (Faza'a). The  volunteers for man hunt succeeded in getting hold of  them after a battle  in which they killed seven, and captured 5. To their  astonishment, the  attacker are government soldiers who were on  training, they are directed  related to Mr. Salah Ali AlGali the Wali (state  governor) of South Darfur.

16/10/2002:

A group of armed persons made an ambush in the road  from Jebel Marra  through GOLO, they aimed at car with an advocate,  Council Inspector and  a driver:
 
 The advocate Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim Korsi, was killed
 The Driver Mr. Faisal also killed
 The District senior was injured Omer
 
 After three days, a group of soldiers coming from  Geldo, heading towards  Zalingei to collect their salaries were ambushed at  the same place, four  were killed.   The attackers are from Arab tribes. (nomads ­ camel herders)

 Friday 18.10.2002

Armed personnel attacked a car on the highway  between Nyala and Zalingei  and killed 3 persons.   The government assigned General Adam Haroon, who was  an army officer in  Juba, they assigned him as commander for the army in  Zalingei, He is  saying that he will have 4000 soldiers their mission  is to clean the  "Jebel Marra" mountain from the rebels. He said this  in public in the  mosque during Friday prayers. He claims that the Fur  are rebels and they  are fighting the government. The people are highly  threatened.    Although all attackers were identified to be from  Arab tribes connected  with the government.    Ibrahim Suleiman who was assigned as a head of  Darfur Security  Mechanism, protested about the behavior of the  general Adam Haroon, and  he claimed that he was not consulted. Adam Haroon  was called to  Khartoum, and he was seen two weeks ago in Nartiti,  he apologized for  the people of Nartiti about his speech in Zalingei.

Thursday 31.10.2002

 A road tanker transporting gas oil from Khartoum to  Gineina was ambushed  in Devis, between Zalingei and Gineina. The  assistant driver was killed,  the tank was punctured and gas oil was lost.

 On Saturday 2.11.2002

 A civilian trucks owned by the military, was  ambushed in a place called  Khor Tulba, they killed 5 persons and injured 8.

 ON 3/11/2002

 Armed persons attacked the villages of Koray, Cowery  and Dial, they  robbed 815 cheeps and goats.  

 On Saturday 5/11/2002

 A group of armed persons attacked commercial lorries  near Gorlay, one  person was killed, twenty were injured, the  travelers properties were  looted.

 On 8.11.2002

 Armed persons attacked villages around Kas and they  killed Four  villagers, the villagers managed to defend  themselves and killed 9 and  injured 8 from the attackers. The attackers were  identified as Arab nomads ( Camel Herders)

 On Saturday 9.11.2002

 A group of armed persons ambushed "masha alla " bus from Nyala to  Nirtiti, at Devis. No one of the travelers was  injured. The armed  persons crossed the highway to the west and on their  way they looted two  villages and robbed sheep and goats.    

They tried to loot another village on their way, but  the villagers were  armed and ready to defend themselves. The villagers  killed 7 of the  armed persons. Among those killed a university  student and secondary  schools student. The armed persons are from Arab  tribes. A woman; from  the villagers; and her child were killed.  

 On Sunday 10.11.2002

 A group of armed persons attacked the market in  Gumaiza and looted all  the animals in the market ( cattles, camels, sheep,  goats).. Next day  the security stopped all buses from traveling  between Nyala and  Zalingei, due to security reasons.

 On Wednesday 13.11.2002

 Armed men (Arabs) attacked the villages of Shaowa,  Ostri and Al ba they  killed 18 Fur and injured 5. As a result people in  these villages and  surrounding villages started to immigrate to the  city of Kas.

 On Saturday 16.11.2002

 The security in Kas arrested eight persons from the  peace mechanism. The  peace mechanism was formed by the "Security  Mechanism of Darfur", from  tribal and community leaders. It is composed of  different tribes.
 
 The eight persons are four from the Fur tribe and  four from the Arab  tribes. Those from the Fur are:
 
* Abaker Shoaib
* Ali Mahmoud Eltayeb
* Hashim Abu el Basher(teacher) ­ Director of  Education - Kas
 * Ismail Mohammed ­ Shertai of Kalokitig
 
 Those from the Arabs are:
 
 * Mohamedein Tribal leader
* Mansour Teweir Tribal leader
* Unkown
* Unkown

 On 21.11.2002

 Armed persons attacked the village of Sabbanga at  night, they killed 8  persons (4 persons of one family). They burned all  the village houses.  Many were injured and transferred to El fashir ­  North Darfur.  

 Same day the village of Hara gamia' was attacked,  two houses were  burned; the villagers were able to put the attackers  back. This village  is in the area of Komgi, were the graveyards of the  Fur old Sultans.

 On 23.11.2002

 A group of armed persons attacked the village of  Atobi, they killed 2  and injured one, they looted all the villages'  properties even the beds.

 On 26.11.2002

 A battle between the government soldiers and the  Zagawa. The problem is  that Zagawa moving with their animals through the  Fur farms, destroying  these farms. The government soldiers tried to  prevent them, they went on  a real battle, 2 soldiers were killed, many injured.  Among those injured  is an officer. The injured persons are in Zalingei  hospital. One of the  Nomads was arrested.  

 On same day 200 sheep, 60 cows were looted from Kas.    On the same day, a group of armed persons attacked  the village of  Teraig, Zalingei area, they forced the villagers to  break their fast  (Ramadan), telling them that the Quran is not  written in the Fur  language, and that the Fur are not supposed to be  Muslims and fasting.

 On Monday 2.12.2002

 Armed persons attacked the 3 villages of Dawra,  Maily and Illa, in the  locality of Kas. They killed two persons in Dawra,  Two in Maily and one  in Illa.

 On 5.12.2002

 Khor Ramla
 
 The nomads let their animals in the farms, they  grazed in 50 cultivated  feddans. The state governor was there and he  instructed the army to  respond. They went in a battle, 2 soldiers were  killed, four from the  nomads were also killed.

 On 9.12.2002

 Three security soldiers were kidnapped in Jebel  Merra, Mirghani,  Suleiman Burhan and a third unknown name. The  kidnapers are unknown.
 
 The security brought a battalion named " The Green  Battalion", it is  brought to free the kidnapped persons and clean the  Jebel from the  rebels as the security claimed. They embarked in  Nartiti and they  instructed the Traditional leaders "Adara Ahlia" to  climb the Jebel and  free these persons. The Adara Ahlia persons formed a  committee from the  community leaders to go and negotiate with  kidnappers.

 On 17.12.2002

 On Tuesday 17.12.2002, 19 armed persons attacked  the village of  Morollo, they set the houses in fire. In the village  there was an army  garrison, 9 of the soldiers were killed and the  attackers captured two  howons "heavy artillery" and 5 G3 machine guns. The  attackers  controlled the village completely and popped in the  villagers into the  detention cells already existing in the village.  

 On 23.12.2002

 One Fur was killed in the outskirts of Zalingei, 4  were killed in Aboor.  Six villages residents abandoned their homes and  went into Zalingei, for  security reasons. Namely: Tobei, Dambass, Kabkalla,  Saowli, Teenpico,  and Aara.

 On 26.12.2002

 Armed persons attacked a lorry and looted it between  Golo and Gildo.

 On 31.12.2002

 An alarm came to both government and the residents  of Singda " a village  near Kas', that armed persons will attack the  village next day  "Wednesday 1.1.2003". The government took no  measures to prevent this.  On Wednesday armed persons attacked the village and  set the houses in  fire. 25 persons were killed, out those killed 10  were shot and thrown  into the fire and 3 died later in Kas hospital. Also  they were 8  injuries, now in Kas hospital. The attackers also  set fire in a  neighboring village. The government soldiers were  very slow in their  response and they were very reluctant to follow the  attackers.
 
 Residents of the village were displaced to Kas and  being accommodated in  "Al Humeira" school Building.

 On Thursday 2.1.2003

 Attacks against the village of Sirinbaga, details to come

 On January 2003-01-22

 Koga:
 
 Koga is a village near Zalingei, on Tuesday  14.1.2003, a group of armed  men, in the uniform of soldiers appeared in the  village, they have  strange shape, (they look like Chadians), They  bombarded the village  market with one shell, which resulted in the injury  of three persons,  (one has his leg imputed in the hospital of  Zalingei). The people were  frightened and dispersed.
 
* The government called Ahmed Khamis to head its  security operations  in Darfur.
 
 * The government surrounded the mountain of  Jebel Marra with army  from all sides. One battalion tried to reach  the top of the  mountain through a non-accessible road but  they failed and  returned to Nartiti (people are living on the  top of the  mountain). Three helicopters were brought to  the mountain and the  government is saying that they are going to  bombard the top of the  mountain. The civilian population are grieved   with fear.  
* The security forces after the return of  battalion started a series  of detentions in Nartati, the number till  Tuesday 21.1.2003 is five:
 
* Abdelgadir Eisa Abdelgadir
* Adam Dolo
* Tigani Saif eldin (Fur tribal leader-Omda)
* Adam Abdelrasoul
* Doko Grinti (Omda)

 22. 1.2002

 The government soldiers climbed the mountain and  forced a curfew from  7.00PM to 7.00 AM. The soldiers are harassing the  civil population  asking them about the places of the armed Fur in the  jebel.
 
 They are camps for armed nomad tribesmen. One 20Km  North east Zalingeiin  Kargeleng, and the other near Nartiti. There are  talks that these  tribesmen are being trained on the use of heavy  Artilary. People are  speculating that these men are going to clean the  mountain from the Fur  after the army operations.  

 Markets in Kutrum and Nartiti were closed, this is  affecting the life  conditions of the people.
 
 Minister of Interior visited Zalingei for only half an hour

 On Saturday 25.1.2003

 Unknown armed men attacked 'Roky Roo' north east  Jebbel Merra, they  killed three persons, one of the dead is shartai  Yousif. The attackers  confiscated 20 guns from the police garrison and  took money from the  locality treasure. The attackers withdrew taking  with them one  non-commissioned officer from the police, the  locality executive  director and others.
 
 It is worth mentioning that the government army is  surrounding the  mountain in 70 miles.

 On Wednesday 29.1.2003

 Armed persons attacked a lorry in the road between  Nyala-Kas they robbed  all possessions of the travelers, no causalities.  

 On Thursday 30.1.2003

 Again armed persons attacked a lorry in the road  between Nyala-Kas they  robbed all possessions of the travelers, no  causalities.

 On Friday 31.1.2003

 Armed persons robbed some goats from Hilla Beada,(  20 kilometers from  Zalingei). The villagers followed the robbers to  return their goats. The  robbers shot at the villagers injuring one person;  he is currently under  medication at Zalingei hospital.    The number of those detained in Nartiti has  increased to 10, still not  charged and their families were denied the right to  meet them. No  lawyers were allowed to see them.

* Abdelgadir Eisa Abdelgadir  35yrs
* Adam Dolo abdelrahaman Abdelshafie 50yrs
* Tigani Saif eldin (Fur tribal leader-Omda) 55yrs
* Adam Abdelrasoul 45yrs
* Doko Grinti (Omda)  80yrs
* Shogar toor Shogar 27yrs
* Abdelnasir Ismail 33yrs
* Tagir Abdelkarim  57yrs
* Suleiman Mohammed Suleiman 42yrs
* Mohammed abdelgabar
 
 The whereabouts of the detainees are unknown, some  information say that  they are kept in Nartiti, but other information say  that they were  transferred to Zalingei.

 On Monday 9.2.2003

 Armed men attacked a Fur person who was comming back  to his village from  Kas market. The man and his horse were killed. The  horse is said to be  of a good race and was killed so as not make future  descendents from  that race.
 
 All the ten detainees of the Fur tribe who were  detained in Nartiti were  transfered to Geneina; Geneina is the Capital of  West Darfur State. No  one has been given access to see them since their  arrest.

 On Sunday 16.2.2003

 The highway between Nyala ­ Zalingei {three  kilometers from Nartiti, on  a bridge} was blocked with stones, commercial buses  arrived at the  blocked points, they moved the stones and passed.  Again the road was  blocked by the stones. Ahmed Musa, a Berti, Manager  of the Jebel Marra  Development, project was driving his car when he  reached the blocked  point, armed men opened fire on his cars, he, his  daughter and son were  killed, the driver, his wife and others are  seriously injured. Ahmed  Musa is an active person who was seriously working  to rehabilitate  agricultural schemes in the area.  

 On the same day an RBG shell was fired from army  garrison in Toor, the  shell killed one Fur man.    Army troops and equipment are in continuous build up  around the mountain.  

 On Thursday 20.2.2003

 Villagers from Njama went to the market in Toor. On  their way back they  were ambushed by armed persons, two persons were  killed one of them is  the 'Sheikh' of Njama village. One injured who is  now in the hospital at  Kas.

 On Monday 24.2.2003

 A lorry was attacked by armed men at Khor Kilash,  two men were killed  (an Arab and a Fur), Four were injured and  transferred to Zalingei  hospital and 3 men are missing.
 
 The security arrested the Imam of Nartiti mosque.  After putting him in  detention the Imam, told the security that is  innocent and god is going  to punish them to this deed. The security persons  who arrested him, had  a car accident same day and two of them were killed.

 Monday ­ Tuesday 24/25/2/2003

 The government of Sudan organized a meeting for  influential persons and  leaders of Darfur, including the MPs. The meeting  was held in El Fashir  the capital city of North Darfur. The GoS aim was to  mobilize the people  against the armed elements in the Mountain. Those  who attended the  meeting refused to condemn the armed elements and  proposed a peace  initiative between the government and the armed  groups. A committee of  45 persons was selected as mediators.

 On Wednesday 26.2.2003

 An armed theft occurred in Sarf Omra ­ North  Zalingei, details to come.

 On Thursday 27.2.2003

 * Armed persons (estimated to be 3000 not yet  confirmed), attacked  the village of Artalla ( West Darfur- 300 Km  East Zalingei).  Initial reports say that 6 villagers (all Fur)  and 35 from the  attackers were killed. 70 of the attackers  were injured and  hospitalized in Nyala.
 
 * The army attacked Golo through Rokoro, they  had fought around Golo  with armed persons. 15 soldiers were killed,  40 injured.

 * Armed persons robed Cattle from Mornei  Villages. The villagers  went after the robbers to retrieve their  cattle. the armed persons  opened fire on them killing 40. The Mornei  village is inhibited by Masaleet ethnic group.

Saturday 1.3.2003

An army officer named Mudhathir (Fur), refused to obey the orders he received to marsh with his soldiers to the Mountain, he and 30 of his soldiers were detained in El Fashir. Tuesday 4.3.03 4 Fur were killed while resting on their way to their village (Kutrung) on the road between Nartiti and Geldo Tuesday 4.3.03 Armed men robbed 212 cattles and killed a one woman and one man, in the village of Mosay, in Garsilla.

Wednesday 5.3.03

The situation in Artalla has developed so much, armed men attacked the villages of Artalla, Kabar and Mukgar, the people in these villages were ready, they exchanged fire with the attackers, the attackers succeeded to burn six houses which belong to Fur men, but they totally burned a Tama village (Tama is an ethnic group). The people of Artalla has driven the attackers up to the Chadian boarders. Other group of the attackers tried to burn the village of Kabar, the villagers were ready and fought with attackers, the villagers driven the attacker up  to Rihaed Al Birdi.

 Thursday 6.3.03

All the goats of Koga were robbed