Protests rage in South Darfur over new governor

KHARTOUM, Thursday

Protests in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur entered second day on Thursday as 18 police officers were injured and Nyala university was shut down.

Citizens of Nyala have expressed their refusal to accept the new governor, Mr Hamad Ismail, who was made governor after the former governor was transferred to the new state of East Darfur.

The protesters demanded the old governor, Mr Abdel Hamid Kasha, come back to power. They set the building of the ruling party, the National Congress Party (NCP) in Nyala on fire.

Gunfire was heard in Nyala and the fire caused a thick layer of smoke, an eye witness said.

Additionally, 19 individuals loyal to the National Congress Party were arrested as police found firearms in their possession.

The new governor refused to declare a state of emergency in the state. However, he announced the closure of Nyala University and all schools in the town.

Nyala, second largest city in Sudan was brought to a standstill by the protests; government offices were shut down as rumours of vandalism spread across the city and the power was cut during the afternoon.

Police reports that one protestor was injured and 18 police officers were wounded, one was transferred to the capital Khartoum as his condition is critical.

Abdel Hamid Kasha, the former South Darfur governor who also hails from Darfur refused to take his new position as governor of the new state of East Darfur which was born last year after the government divided Darfur into 5 states instead of 3 in a highly unpopular move.