According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), around 500 armed men killed at least 60 civilians in the village of Masteri, in the south of Geneina, the provincial capital of West Darfur province, on Saturday, 25. The day after, Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok announced that a joint security force, including army and police, will be deployed in the five States of the Darfur region.
Similar attacks are not uncommon in this area which has seen deadly conflicts since 2003. However, the frequency and the violence of the attacks have increased since last year, due to the removal of long-term ruler Omar al-Bashir. Since then, a power-sharing transitional government of civilians and military will rule the country until the next elections, which are expected in late 2022.
This fragile path towards democracy has been challenging for the government and, after the recent killings, Prime Minister Hamdok said that armed forces will protect citizens during the farming season. While the bloodshed continues over land rights, Omar al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and genocide.
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/1710471/middle-east
Author: Carla Pintor
