10/25/2004

Fighting continues in South Darfur, with government militias, known popularly as the Janjaweed, targeting civilian communities they accuse of harboring rebel forces from the Sudan Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement. Although a peace agreement was signed in April 2004, as recently as the second week in October, newly displaced persons were forced from their villages following attacks against civilians. The fighting in Darfur over the past 14 months has claimed over 50,000 lives and forced over 1.5 million people from their villages.

Refugees International interviewed a group of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Babarh village, close to Nyala in South Darfur. They had recently arrived in Kalma Camp, an IDP camp of between 50-80,000 souls near the Nyala Airport. An old man told us the story of their village.

“A young girl and her grandmother went to the market from our village. On their way home, they ran into the Janjaweed. The old lady ran away but the young girl was caught. They held her for one day. She tried to resist them and they broke her teeth. Then they dumped her in the street. She is in the hospital now being treated. We went to the police department to complain about the Janjaweed but the police told us that we were all toraboras [Sudan Liberation Army supporters].

Three days ago, the police came to our village. We were happy there --- we grow vegetables and sell them in the markets. The police told us that we are in a ‘safe area’ and no one may have guns in this area. They then searched our village and took our guns. They told us not to be afraid.

That night at 4:00 am, the Janjaweed came to our village. They set fire to our village and killed women, men, and children. They came in with camels and guns. We ran away as fast as we could. We slept under the trees and in the wadi [riverbed]. Some of us had donkeys. The rest of us lost all of our animals.

We walked here to Kalma camp two days ago where we can be safe. We can be safe in Kalma camp but we do not have food. We are taking our water from the river near by. My horse became sick and died. He was tired from having to go back and forth from the village.

I know the Janjaweed that attacked us. They live near us. We have seen them all over the village and the town. Why did they not take away the weapons of the Janjaweed? They did not take their weapons, they took ours.”

Sarah Martin and Mamie Mutchler recently returned from an assessment mission to Darfur.