The United Nations-African Union Mission – UNAMID – condemned the looting
and vandalism of its former headquarters 10 km north of Nyala on December 27-
28-29 by hundreds of Sudanese citizens and soldiers wearing uniforms.
The Mission issued a statement Sunday evening strongly condemning what it
described as a blatant disregard by the Sudanese government of its pledge to use
the approximately $ 100 million worth premises that covers an area of six million
square meters for civilian purpose only.
The Mission deplored the participation of uniformed personnel, who are expected
to assist the UN peacekeepers in securing the camps, advancing human rights,
and protecting civilians.
The statement indicated that the Mission is deeply concerned about the freedom
thieves enjoyed to loot and sabotage the premises three days ago without the
state’s intervention to stop the looting, robbery and vandalism.
Darfur24 reporter, who walked among the people who had spent their third day
inside the premises , saw thousands of people from all walks of life dismantling
everything that could be dismantled. He added that they were loading various
type of items on cars, some of which are four-wheel drive , toktok motorcycles
and rickshaws without being intercepted by anyone.
However, more than three thousand people were seen spreading in the area of
the site, while no building or container was spared from a complete destruction,
and some people seen loading barbed wire on small cars heading towards the
city of Nyala.
Meanwhile, the Forces for Freedom and Change of South Darfur, blamed
governor, Hashem Khaled for his responsibility of what happened to the
premises.
For his part, FFC speaker, Mahmoud Mansour, said in a press conference held
on Sunday afternoon in Nyala that the governor and his security committee bear
all responsibilities due to their deliberate negligence, and their failure to respond
to the advice of FFC regarding handing over the premises to the university of
Nyala as well as tightening the guarding.
A similar incident took place in May 2019 where civilian and uniformed
individuals ransacked and looted UNAMID’s West Darfur Headquarters in El
Geneina on the very day it was due to be handed over to the Government of
Sudan.
There remains one UNAMID Formed Police Unit (FPU) which still occupies a small
part of the former Sector South Headquarters as a reserve police unit to support
UNAMID’s Kalma team site (22kms South West of Nyala) as and when required.