Anger mounts as Sudan’s army takes in Darfur paramilitary defectors

By Eltayeb Siddig, Nafisa Eltahir and Khalid Abdelaziz Reuters and Posted by TOE Last month, Ali Rizkallah, a commander in the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, was welcomed to Sudan’s capital ​Khartoum and given a uniform and a rank in the armed forces he had spent about  three years fighting . The army-affiliated government hailed his defection — the latest in a series of ‌high-level switches that have been reshaping Sudan’s alliances and boosting the military in  one of the deadliest conflicts  of the century. But many others have balked at the sight of Rizkallah and other former RSF figures feted in public, holding press conferences and sometimes literally embracing their former rivals. They fear that the defectors will evade justice for alleged crimes committed under their command. ‘I CAN’T FORGIVE THEM,’ SAYS DARFUR WOMAN “These RSF soldiers, even if they seek God’s forgiveness, I can’t forgive them because of what I ​...

Attackers kill at least 50, abduct women and children in Nigeria’s Zamfara state

By Ahmed Kingimi Reuters

– At least 50 people were killed and several women and ‌children abducted after armed men attacked a village ‌in Nigeria’s northwestern Zamfara state, a state lawmaker told Reuters on Friday.

Hamisu A. ​Faru, lawmaker representing Bukkuyum south, said the attackers raided Tungan Dutse village from around 5 p.m. on Thursday until about 3:30 a.m. on Friday, burning down buildings and shooting residents ‌who tried to ⁠flee.

“They have been moving from one village to another … leaving at least 50 people dead,” Faru ⁠told Reuters by phone.

He said the number of abducted victims was yet to be determined. Traditional leaders and local government ​officials were ​still accounting for the ​missing.

A Zamfara state police spokesperson ‌did not respond to calls seeking comment.

Abdullahi Sani, 41, a resident of Tungan Dutse, said three family members were killed in the attack.

“No one slept yesterday, we are all in pain,” he said.

A day earlier, residents contacted security forces ‌and local authority when they ​saw more than 150 motorcycles carrying ​armed men. But the ​warning was ignored, Sani said.

Insecurity is a ‌pressing concern in Nigeria and the ​government is ​under mounting pressure to restore stability.

There has been a surge in attacks blamed on “bandits”, who have carried out ​deadly assaults, abductions ‌for ransom, and displaced communities across northern Nigeria.



from The Times Of Earth https://ift.tt/MmkjGqZ

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