Residents of South Darfur denounce killing of state governor

Residents of South Darfur capital, Nyala, have denounced the killing of West Darfur state’s governor on Wednesday.

Governor Khamis Abdullah Abakar was killed hours after he made critical remarks of the paramilitaries in a telephone interview with a Saudi TV channel.

“We condemn and denounce what happened in the West Darfur state and its capital El Geneina city. This region is close to the hearts of the Sudanese people. We call on all international and regional parties to take immediate action in order to stop the ongoing fighting in the West Darfur state, and restore stability to the city of El Geneina, as we’re witnessing loss of lives, injuries, and displacement of children and women”, said Nyala resident Mohammed Abdelrahim.

Another Nyala resident, Mubarak Hassan, added:

“We don’t know if it was carried out by the Rapid Support Forces or the Armed Forces or by the warring militias in El Geneina, I don’t know, this is what is said in the media. However, we anticipate that clarity will emerge in due course, and the responsible party behind the governor’s killing will be identified. This is a matter of great significance as it could potentially escalate into even more serious complications. It’s the governor we’re talking about and it’s very critical not knowing who killed him”. 

On Thursday, the UN called for the killers to be brought to justice.

The death toll from two months of fighting in Sudan has topped 2,000, while the violence has driven 2.2 million people from their homes.