Kriandango, July20( Darfur 24)
Kabashi Idris Kafi had no idea that the day of his death would come so soon. He sent money to his wife to come with their children from Sudan to live with him in the Kriandango refugee camp in the northern Ugandan city of Piale. He began arranging the house, built of thick tarpaulin that offered little protection from the cold or the heat.
Darfur 24 visited the victim’s home in the camp, which stretches as far as the eye can see, with its houses intertwined with each other without significant barriers. The group met with members of his family and other victims of the attack on Sudanese homes.
On July 10, South Sudanese refugees attacked Sudanese homes in the Kriandango camp, resulting in several injuries. The attack was repeated two days later, killing Kabashi and wounding others.
The victim’s neighbors said they informed him of the attack to meet with them, but he ignored their invitation, claiming no harm would come to him. He refused all pressure to leave his home, which was surrounded by maize crops.
They indicated that the victim was struck in the back of the head with a hard object after the attackers surrounded him in large numbers, killing him instantly.
Most Sudanese in the Kriandingo camp are unaware of the reasons for the attack. Some believe it was economically motivated, related to the authorities granting Sudanese residents land that had been used for farming by South Sudanese refugees. Others believe it was due to the suspension of humanitarian aid provided by the UNHCR.
An eyewitness suggested that the attack was motivated by the attackers’ desire to remove Sudanese from the camp, as they had a history of violently expelling Dinka refugees, allowing them to use the land for farming and monopolize aid.
A camp resident said there was absolutely no justification for others to attack their neighbors, as Sudanese and South Sudanese homes intermingled in the camp’s clusters, making it impossible to distinguish between them.
A member of the victim’s family, Ammar Abdullah, told Darfur 24 that Kabashi treated others very kindly and that they had no animosity or problems with anyone. He was loved by both adults and children.
He explained that Kabashi’s family had moved from White Nile State to South Sudan on their way to the camp, days before his murder, but had quickly returned. The family is currently seeking to bring his wife to Uganda to pursue legal action.
Abdullah announced the family’s commitment to pursuing legal action against the perpetrators.
Other Details
Eyewitness and neighbor of the victim, Yahya Saleh, said that about 35 people attacked the houses at 9:30 p.m., including Kabashi’s house, which is surrounded by a corn farm.
He pointed out that some of the attackers lived in a neighboring house, no more than 10 meters away, and that others gathered with them and attacked my house, carrying sticks, spears, knives, stones, and glass.
Saleh explained in his statement to Darfur 24 that the attackers first targeted his home, where they tore down the tent before heading to the victim’s home. The victim was struck on the back of the head with a sharp object weighing approximately 20 kilograms, splitting his skull open and causing brain damage. He was taken to the hospital several hours after the attack.
He revealed that police forces raided the attackers’ home and arrested 10 of them, while the rest fled into the cornfields.
He continued: “We faced significant difficulties in performing an autopsy. The Ugandan doctors did not handle the body properly. They placed it in a laboratory with medicines and placed it on the floor until the bleeding stopped. Then, Sudanese doctors arrived and cleaned the body.”
Victims Without Justice
At least 24 Sudanese refugees were injured in the attack on the clusters, including Hamad Mohammed Ahmed, who was injured in his back, hand, and head.
Ahmed told Darfur 24 that they in Cluster B prepared to repel the attack after hearing cries for help coming from Cluster C following the assault. When nothing happened, all the Sudanese who had gathered in Cluster B went home.
He added, “As we entered the houses, we heard voices coming from the western direction of the settlement, to the west of our neighbor Mohammed’s house. We moved to see what was going on. As we were going, a large group attacked us. We tried to repel them, but they were outnumbered.”
Hamad Mohammed Ahmed
explained that he was hit “with a stick on head, causing him to fall. Then, they attacked him with machetes on his head and all over my body until he lost the ability to move. Hours later, he was taken to Bandoli Hospital, which was crowded with sick and wounded people. Then he was transferred directly to Kriandango Hospital, where a Sudanese medical committee received them. They were treated and transferred to the ward.”
The injured man, Hamad Mohammed Ahmed, criticized the hospital and organizations for not caring for the wounded, while the Sudanese people and the Sudanese embassy in Khartoum donated. Kampala with medicine.
Additional Suffering
Fear still prevails among many Sudanese refugees in the Kriandingo refugee camp. Some preferred to leave for the city of Piale or Kampala, while others insisted on staying, including Yahya Ahmed Abkar Yusuf and another injured person.
Yahya told Darfur 24 that the first thing that came to mind for him and his friend Hamad when they learned of the attack on Cluster C was to protect their neighbor, Mohamed Sharaf al-Din, and his daughters from danger.
He added, “Suddenly, the attacking youths appeared from all directions, numbering approximately 100. We had no options but to resist and defend ourselves. They were armed with sticks, spears, and machetes, and we were defenseless.”
He pointed out that they were forced to use sticks, in defense, while retreating from their presence to keep them away from the homes and prevent harm to women and children.
He explained that this tactic succeeded in dispersing the attackers, who split into two groups.