(Kampala) – On July 22, 2017, armed men from the Jaloul Arab tribes group, which supports the Rapid Support Force (RSF), arrested Sheikh Jamaa Ishaq Abdul Karim, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Issa Hammad, Abdul Qadir Abkar Hassan, and Ishaq Musa Shougar. The arrest was in connection with an unidentified crime that resulted in the killing of three members of their tribe in 1988 on the outskirts of the village of Termo, located approximately 7 kilometres from the rural area of Abta. The detainees, all residents of villages under the administrative office of Abta, were forcibly disappeared by orders of Lieutenant Colonel Rahma of the Border Guard Forces. They were released after four months due to lack of evidence. However, in the absence of judicial institutions and the rule of law, power and weapons dictate decisions and impose actions arbitrarily.

Fast forward to 2024, under the threat of guns and military force, and with the support of militias from the Jaloul tribe, the residents of Furi Gamba were coerced into paying 7.98million Sudanese pounds (approximately 13,311.09 United States Dollars). The breakdown of this extortion includes: 210 cows or their cash equivalent for the three murdered individuals, 44million Sudanese pounds (73,394.49 United States Dollars) as blood money, 33 million pounds(55,045.87 United States Dollars) for losses suffered by the tribe of the murdered, and 5 million pounds (8,340.28United States Dollars) as Karamat. As of now, the victims have managed to pay 53.8 million pounds (89,741.45 United States Dollars), leaving 26 million pounds( 43,369.47 United States Dollars) to be paid in two installments—13 million pounds (21,684.74 United States Dollar) on August 15, 2024, and another remaining on September 1, 2024.

Moreover, Omda Mustafa Osman Adam (Mustafa Khattar), Omda of Furi Gamba, was previously arrested due to this incident and detained in a vehicle belonging to the family of the murder victims to exert additional pressure for the payment. He was released after paying 13 million pounds (21,684.74 United States Dollar).

Following these threats, on July 26, 2024, a committee was formed to collect the required funds. The committee was compelled to release a video appealing to the local, regional, and international public, specifically addressing the people of Wadi Ayyur in the diaspora, to urgently contribute and help meet the payment deadlines to ensure the safety and security of citizens and their properties.

This incident exemplifies how the RSF and its allied militias are exploiting old cases to extort money from civilians in the regions they control. The Darfur Network for Human Rights (DNHR) appeals to the RSF to cease this harassment of civilians and calls for international intervention to protect the affected populations.