Sudanese 'to disarm Darfur camp'

[frigidmagi]

BBC

Aid agencies say they fear an outbreak of bloodshed in a Darfur refugee camp, after residents were warned they would be disarmed by the Sudanese army.

Panic spread through the Kalma camp after a police notice stated that the army would use force to remove arms unless residents handed them over.

Aid agencies say they are concerned that a confrontation could leave scores dead and thousands displaced.

Police say the number of weapons in the camp in south Darfur has fuelled crime.

Unconfirmed reports say residents plan to set up blockades to keep the army out.

Kalma is one of the largest camps in the troubled western region of Sudan, with a difficult tribal mix.

It is home to about 90,000 people who fled from their villages to escape the conflict that has raged around them for the last four years.

Shoot-out fears

In a notice seen by the BBC, the police said they would start removing arms from the camp on Saturday.

It said the army would start to use force to collect weapons that were not handed in.

Aid agencies said they were extremely concerned that the seizures could spark violence with so many weapons and armed groups.

They said it could lead to a shoot-out with people being killed and thousands more displaced.

I note the Arab tribes who raid the villages and camps are not being disarmed. Yeah let's disarm the victums, that'll stop the crimes.