DanChurchAid
Sudan
Nowhere is safe
Source: ACT International
By Charlotte Brudenell, field communicator for the ACT-Caritas Darfur Emergency Response Operation
People living in camps in South Darfur continue to live in fear. "We came here to be protected but we are not safe," is the resounding echo from a group of sheikhs. "There are bandits and armed groups both inside and outside the camps."
Men dare not leave the camps for fear of being killed, and women are afraid that if they leave the camps to collect firewood they run the risk of being attacked by armed militias.
In June, in one camp alone, seven girls who went to fetch firewood were attacked by five armed men on camels, less than 3 kilometres from the camp. A few days later, one man who left the camp on his donkey was killed and his donkey taken by his attackers.
But the people are most afraid at night, when armed groups from within roam the camps, firing their guns and stealing people's few possessions.
Living in temporary shelters, often made from mud and straw that offer little protection from bullets, it is no wonder the people are afraid.
As one mother whose husband was killed in the conflict explains, "Inside the camps we are still living in a situation of war. When we lie down at night we are afraid, we hear gun shots inside the camp, we hold our children close to us, but we are not safe."
A sheikh echoes the mother's fears. "At night armed men go around the camp, they fire their guns into the night to create fear. If you go outside your house at night, they will rob and threaten you."
The Darfur Peace Agreement, signed by the government of Sudan and the Sudanese Liberation Movement/Army on the 5th May, includes provisions for disarmament, as well as power and wealth sharing.
The conflict in Darfur has forced over two million people from their homes into temporary camps. Six weeks after the signing of the peace agreement, any change is yet to be seen.
ACT-Caritas is a grouping of Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox relief agencies across the globe that has come together with key local partners Sudan Council of Churches (SCC), Sudan Development Organization (SUDO) and SudanAid*, in one of the biggest emergency relief operations in South and West Darfur.
SUDO is providing camp management in Bilel camp in collaboration with HAC - the Sudanese government's Humanitarian Affairs Commission.
The main role of camp management is to co-ordinate relief services. However, SUDO is also helping the victims of criminal acts within the camps to access the judicial system to defend their rights.
"When there is an act of violence or theft, camp management ensures that the case is followed up and reported to the regional authorities and HAC," says one sheikh. "As a result, several people have been arrested and imprisoned for illegal acts.
"It is not the mission of relief agencies to protect us," another sheikh adds. "They provide us with essential services. These men are armed, we cannot stand by them."
"We need a force that can protect us," says one woman, adding, "I will only rest when all the men have been disarmed."
In some areas, since the signing of the agreement the violence has escalated, while banditry and theft continues. Without protection and without a secure environment, people are too scared to leave the relative safety of the camps and return to their villages.
[*SCC is a member of ACT International. SudanAid is a member of Caritas Internationalis. SUDO is a partner to both the faith-based networks.]
DanChurchAid is a member of ACT International - a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies.
