Omda Abdullah Mohammed Ishaq said the current security situation in the Murraya area of Kreinik Locality, West Darfur State, remains dire.

The community leader attributed the shaky situation to rights violations perpetrated against citizens in the Murrayat area, mainly targeting women and girls who go to collect firewood and grass. 

Omda Abdullah confirmed the presence of violations, including killings, rapes, and violence against women, noting that the latest killing incident occurred a month ago, while a rape case was recorded two weeks ago. 

"Consequently, women face rape, and men encounter beatings and killings," he said.

Abdullah stated, "We have prohibited residents from gathering and fetching grass for safety. Citizens struggle to meet ends, and their supplies have depleted.”

"Despite the challenges, the farmers have decided to plant for this season. No authority holds criminals accountable because we are distant from the city centre in Kreinik. Looting and theft have compounded the suffering of citizens in terms of accessing food and water."

Omda Abdullah mentioned that more than 15 families from his area have decided to seek refuge in Chad due to the lack of food, adding that efforts to dissuade them by promising imminent relief failed.

The community leader decried the slow pace of relief food distribution in the Kreinik locality. He called for fair distribution based on the needs, adding that residents have been waiting for food aid for approximately five months. 

Abdullah also highlighted that organizations have opened schools to reassure residents of their security in the area.

Murrayat area, situated between Kreinik and Um-Tajok, hosts a weekly market where goods arrive from remote areas. Omda Abdullah pointed out that threats and attacks on the roads hinder the movement of goods due to insecurity.

West Darfur in under control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). By mid-December 2023, the RSF had secured control of four of five Darfur states, including strategic cities, supply routes, and border areas.

The Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been engaged in a war since last April that has resulted in 15,000 deaths and more than 8 million displaced and refugees, according to the UN.

Since the start of the civil war, thousands of homes, schools, hospitals, and other vital civilian structures have been destroyed, plunging the country into a severe humanitarian crisis, and creating the world’s largest displacement crisis.