SalaaMedia Report
The civil Administration in South Darfur announced the renewal state of emergency for the second time, after imposing it for the first time in early June 2024. The order stipulatesa partial curfew within the town of Nyala, a ban on carrying weapons in market places, vehicles and public places, in addition to the arrest of persons suspected in the involvement in crimes related to violating the emergency order. Under the order, violators face a penality of up to six months or a fine of three million pounds. In this report, SalaaMedia monitors the impact of the renewal of the emergency order on July 10 and recently on August 28, 2024, and its repercussions on the security situation in the town of Nyala, its contribution in reducing crimes, and the extent to which it is used as a pretext to commit more violations against civilians.
Emergency and Security Lapses
Despite the renewed emergency orders, South Darfur is witnessing many security lapses such as looting, and attacks in Nyala neighborhoods and the roads linking the town to other localities in the state. According to the newspaper Darfur 24, after the Rapid Support Forces took control of the town, the town witnessed a waves of thefts of civilians’ homes and shops. In recent weeks, armed gangs have been active in looting under threat of arms, with most incidents concentrated in the market places of Al-Malja, Al-Junena station, and Al-Salam neighborhood, in addition to murder and looting incidents in Al-Kongo and Al-Da’ein streets in the center of the town.
Incident statistics
From July 23 to August 5, 2024, Nyala Teaching Hospital received about 51 cases of injury as a result of repeated attacks in the town, including two deaths, according to Darfur 24. The Amar Jadeed area in Mershing locality witnessed the killing of two girls and the injury of two men, as a result of gunmen shooting them, and another young woman died as a result of being shot by an armed group tat tried to rape her. Dafur 24 quoted a member of the state’s investigation police as saying that crime rates in Nyala have increased due to the lack of police personnel. He revealed that six people were killed, 13 others were injured, and sums of money exceeding 17 million Sudanese pounds were stolen in one month. Looting incidents have been repeated on the roads linking Nyala and some of the state’s localities, with four looting incidents occuring on the Nyala-Boraam road in two weeks in June 2024, prompting the Rapid Support Forces to send a force that clashed with the group of gunmen, leading to the killing of four members of the group; while Darfur 24 reported that the Nyala-Bulbul road witnessed dozens of looting incidents, including passengers car, the value of looting items amounted to more than six million pounds.
Trials
Authorities in Nyala arrested 16 people on charges under Articles 130 of the Sudanese Penal Code (murder). Last July, the head of the civil administration in South Darfur announced the trial of 37 suspects arrested under the emergency law.
Arrests
The pace of arrests among civilians increased after the curfew was issued under the campaigns organized by the Civil Administration to combat the so-called negative phenomena, especially in the Qadira markets and the Jenena bus station. Others were also arrested on charges related to cooperation with the armed forces; the arrests included some merchants and some workers the Karari humanitarian field, where the African Center called on the Rapid Support Forces to release a member of the emegency room of Karari neighborhood.
One of the detainees who was released for a ransom of (800 thousand pounds) reported that he was arrested from the Jinena bus station on charges of belonging to the army, and was taken to the popular police headquarters in the airport district. He stated that he left about 100 people in the detention center. While another detainee who was released referred to several detention centers inside and outside the town of Nyala, it is likely that a number of the number of the detainees there is more than 200 persons.
Statements of the Perpetrators
A member of the investigations from the town of Nyala, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Darfur 24 that the decisions of the head of Civil Administration were not implemented until the first weeks, which contributed to the stability of security and the decrease in the crime rate. He explained that the crime rate in Nyala increased due to the lack of police officers in the centers, the weakness of logistical capabilities such as cars and salaries, and the absence of preventive security agencies such as criminal investigations, general intelligence, security police, and specialized police departments such as drugs, traffic, crimes, and emergency. He added that with the absence of the authority of the parliament, the judiciary, the deterrent law, the spread of weapons, liquidity, and the rise in prices, crimes rates will be higher and in large areas of the town and at all times. A source in the Rapid Support Forces said that the looting and robbery operations in the town of Nyala are due to the presence of elements impersonating members of the Rapid Support Forces and working to tarnish its reputation among citizens.
Reading the texts of the emergency order, it appears that the Civil Administration in South Darfur seeks to protect civilians, but following the events that have been monitored during the past period, which are represented in the killing of at least 15 civilians, at least 300 people being arrested on various charges, about 16 people being charged with premediated murder and more than 36 detainees for violating the emergency law, in addition to the looting incidents under the threat of arms; this casts doubt on the ability of the Civil Administration to control the security situation in South Darfur state. According to the statements of former civilians and military personnel; the decisions of the head of the Civil Administration contributed to the stability of security and the decrease in the crime rate only in the first weeks in which they were implemented, in addition to the high prices of goods and the worsening humanitarian situation that leads to an increase in crime rates in light of the widespread weapons in the hands of civilians.