Violence Displaces Those Already Displaced

In August 2012, a series of violent attacks forced the civilians living in the Kassab camp for displaced people to flee from their homes and seek safe haven in the North Darfur town of Kutum.

BY SHARON LUKUNKA AND GUIOMAR PAU SOLÉ

Due to an outbreak of violence, Darfuris living in the Kassab camp for internally displaced persons in North Darfur were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in the nearby town of Kutum. The majority of these doubly displaced IDPs who took shelter in Kutum’s open areas did not have access to basic services such as clean water, food, sanitation facilities and health care, leading to the need for immediate humanitarian assistance.

The unrest in the area began on 1 August 2012 when the Kutum commissioner of the Alwaha district and his driver were killed by armed men. Later in the day, the official’s vehicle, which was stolen during the attack, was recovered by Sudanese security agents 2 kilometres from Kassab. On the same day, armed men attacked Kassab, looted the market, houses and other facilities, burned down the Sudanese Police station in the camp, killed four people (three civilians and one police officer) and injured six others.

One of the IDPs from Kassab, Mr. Mohamed Ibrahim, described the initial attacks. At about 10:00 a.m., he said, armed men drove nearly 50 vehicles into the camp and ordered the residents to give over their possessions. Mr. Ibrahim explained how he was sitting outside his home with his neighbour when the men drove up. “When they came to my house, they asked for my mobile phone, but I refused to give it to them and then they began to beat me,” he said. “They burned my car, which I use as a taxi.”

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Read the full story in the November issue of Voices of Darfur. Download the magazine (PDF) here.