Survivor Voices-New Series of Stories from Darfur

Survivor Voices

“The daily horror of genocide in Darfur”

Darfur Women Action Group would like to share with our readers heart-breaking stories and reports from our sources on the ground in Darfur. They will be depicting exactly what life is like in Darfur. The individuals there are constantly under attack and innocent men, women, and children lose their lives without any notice taken from the outside world.

Sharing these reports is not about us; it is about those who have been forced to live in concentration-like camps because their homes are no longer safe or no longer standing. They have been systematically targeted for killing, rape and humiliation for more than a decade. Upon reading this we ask for your help to speak up, spread the word, and to support DWAG to be able to help our people by providing them with tangible, life-saving assistance. We want to bring this to the attention of the world community and urge them to help end it.

We are still working out some of the details of the Survivor Voices series, so some of the information may be delayed, however, the accounts will be accurate and straight from the conflict.

Below are real stories from witness and survivors:

Reports from July 2014

July 11:

A man was shot and injured after his car was stolen and was the forced to pay 20,000 Sudanese pounds as a random.

The Rapid Support Forces shot Ibrahim Mekail. About 5 militiamen in a Land Cruiser vehicle with Doshka machine guns shot Ibrahim. He said he was threatened and his car was stolen a week ago, and then the militants contacted him and asked him to pay 20,000 Sudanese pound if he wanted to have his car returned to him. He agreed, and collected the money with the help of families and friends, and went to meet the militia. After Ibrahim paid the 20,000, the Janjaweed shot him and took his money without returning the car.

Ibrahim was severely injured and then transferred to Nyala Hospital. The incident has been reported to Nyala Wasat Police, however, they have done nothing to return the car or the money or hold the militia accountable for stealing and shooting Ibrahim. Ibrahim said he knows the militia members who are responsible, but he declined to mention their names for fear of retaliation from them toward him or his family.

July 13:

Janjaweed militia members rode on camelback (while wearing Border Intelligence Guards uniforms) at about 8:00am and attacked Alsalam residents on their way to the market. They killed two brothers: Abdel Razek (42 years old, married, and lived in the Alsalam Camp Center) and Mohammed Ahmed Baba (30 years old, married and lived in the Alsalam Camp-block 4).

Their bodies were taken to Nylay hospital and then were sent back to Alsalam camp. Their relatives buried them near the camp. Some were silent and some cried, but they all felt overwhelming helplessness.

July 19:

A car was bombed near Elfasher, an area in the North Darfur region, where nearly 17 people were killed and only three survived including two severely injured American citizens: Noah Eisa and Omer Eisa. The two men are from New Jersey.

Noah, and his nephew Omer, who is 10 years old, left the US on July 5th to visits their old and ill grandmother who was separated from them during an attack on their village near Kabkabiya, in 2003.

Noah, his two brothers and one of his brother’s wife fled Darfur in beginning of genocide, to Eygpt and then were luckily relocated as refugees in the United States. Since 2006, they have lived in Flemington, New Jersey. They work hard and have established a decent life for themselves and have become American citizens. But everyday they feel regret and saddens because they left many of their loved ones behind, including Noah’s sisters and their grandmother who raised them up after the death of their mother. This year they decided to visit their grandmother who has been ill and who is getting very old. She is currently living in a camp in Kabkabiya City, North Darfur State. They thought since they are American citizens they may be able to visit and return back safely. On July 18th, while on their way to Kabkabiya, the militia, Rapid Support Force or RSF, bombarded their car with machine guns.

They are still hospitalized in Sudan and their family is anxiously waiting for them to return back to the States safely.

July 21:

Two men were killed and one woman was injured In Kass City, a city in the South Darfur area. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a violent militia gang, were wearing Sudanese military uniforms and riding in a passenger vehicle when they attacked a home near the Alsalam area in the northern district around 11:00pm. They entered the family’s home and demanded money from them. When the family refused and said they did not have any money, the militia shot the two male members (Ishag Suleiman, 36, and Idris Elfaky, 25) and injured the female (Mariam). Mariam was in ciritical condition and has been transferred to Nyala Teaching Hospital, but her family cannot afford to pay for her medical care.

Note: This attack was also reported on Radio Dabanga on the 22nd.