Kalma, October 27 (Darfur24)
The head of the General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugee Camps, Yaqoub Mohamed Abdel Fari, has called for the release of 172 displaced people from Kalma camp who are being held by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), local sources told Darfur24 on Monday.
The appeal was made during a visit to the camp on October 21 by Ezz El-Din Al-Safi, head of the Humanitarian Access Authority in the Government of National Accord, who met with camp coordination and center officials.
Sources told Darfur24 that Fari informed Al-Safi that the detainees were being held by the RSF in Nyala and other parts of Darfur.
According to the sources, the displaced people were arrested while seeking ways to earn a living and support their families. Many were travelling to mining areas in Sudan’s Northern State or to Nyala in search of work.
Fari said the General Coordination and Kalma camp administration had repeatedly contacted the civil administration in South Darfur to secure their release, but the efforts had so far been unsuccessful, the sources said.
He also warned that armed men wearing RSF uniforms had been threatening and robbing vehicles travelling between the camp and the cities of Nyala and Bilel.
Fari said some individuals involved in previous disputes with people in the camp had joined the RSF after the war began, leading to what he described as malicious reports being filed against displaced residents.
Kalma camp, in South Darfur, has hosted displaced people for about two decades. Its population has grown further as people fleeing fighting in various parts of Darfur have sought refuge there since the current conflict began in April 2023.
