Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Government and Militants Blame Each Other For the Massacre in Darfur | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Ten people were killed and more than 60 were injured as a result of bloody and violent incidents that took place in Nirtiti in Central Darfur state. The armed opposition and the government blamed each other for the incident in which innocent civilians were killed.

Press reports stated that armed forces carried out an attack on New Year’s Day in the town of Nirtiti which lies approximately 100 km east of Central Darfur state’s capital. Nine people were killed after a soldier was found dead in one of the town’s neighbourhoods. Government forces were accused of launching a huge attack on the town’s residents in which heavy and light weapons were used. However, Khartoum denied this version of events.

The Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdul Wahid Mohammed Nur made a statement before official reports were released in which he accused “government militias” of committing the crime. However, the governor of the state Jaafar Abdul-Hakam said at a press conference yesterday that preliminary investigations carried out by local security authorities prove that a group affiliated to the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdul Wahid Mohammed Nur were involved in what he called the “strife”.

The government website www.ashorooq.net quoted the governor of Central Darfur state Abdul-Hakam as saying that the attack occurred after it was reported that an army soldier was found dead in a woodland area on Friday. His corpse was moved to one of the city’s neighbourhoods and the next day, a doctor was beaten and robbed. Reports on the two incidents confirm that 6 armed individuals belonging to the Sudan Liberation Movement were involved in the attacks.