Malha, August 19 (Darfur24)
At least three civilians, including a child, a woman, and a community volunteer, have been killed in separate armed attacks on vehicles and travelers in North and Central Darfur, amid a resurgence of armed robbery on major roads across the region.
In North Darfur, activist and volunteer Idris Ibrahim, known as “Sada,” was killed and others injured on Monday when gunmen opened fire on a vehicle traveling through the desert from the border town of Al-Tina, on the Chad border, toward Ad-Dabba in Northern State.
Eyewitnesses and the Al-Malha Emergency Room said armed men attacked the vehicle while Ibrahim and his companions were traveling along the route.
The Al-Malha Emergency Room Council, in a statement of condolence seen by Darfur24, said Ibrahim was killed while carrying out his work and described the attackers as armed robbery gangs.
A local volunteer told Darfur24 that Ibrahim was engaged in trade between Al-Tina and Ad-Dabba when the attack occurred. He said the gunmen opened fire on the vehicle, killing Ibrahim and injuring others, although the exact number and condition of the injured remained unclear.
Last week, a woman and a child were killed and others injured when gunmen opened fire on a passenger vehicle traveling from Nyala toward El Geneina on the road linking Nyala and Zalingei.
A relative of one of the victims told Darfur24 that the gunmen attempted to stop the vehicle to rob the passengers. When the driver refused to stop, they opened fire, killing the woman and child at the scene.
The incident occurred in the Khor Ramla area near Kass locality, South Darfur, according to the source.
Several passenger-vehicle drivers told Darfur24 that at least three armed robbery incidents had occurred in recent days along the Nyala-Zalingei-El Geneina route. They said armed men were stopping vehicles and demanding money, with those who refused or attempted to bypass the checkpoints often being robbed.
Drivers expressed concern that armed robberies, which had declined in recent months, are returning amid the proliferation of weapons and weak security along major travel routes.
Darfur has experienced repeated attacks on civilian vehicles in recent months. In April, armed men robbed several passenger vehicles traveling between Nyala and Sangho in South Darfur and assaulted travelers.
In July, a man was killed in Qureida, about 86 kilometers south of Nyala, after two gunmen shot him when he resisted an attempt to steal his property. Civilian vehicles were also looted on the Zalingei-Kass road during the same month.