Killing of three Human Rights Defenders in Darfur
On 5 and 6 of March 2022 three human rights defenders, Youseif Yagoub Ahmed, Mohamed Ibrahim Yahya and Mohamed Eldai Musa were killed in Jabal Moon, West Darfur by armed militia while they were doing an assessment on the human rights and humanitarian situation in West Darfur. The three human rights defenders were members of Darfur Human Rights Monitors network, a network of human rights monitoring groups in the five states of Darfur.
Mohammed Ibrahim Yahya, 27 years old, was a human rights defender, a graduate of Sudan University for Technology, a member of Darfur Human Rights Monitors network, a teacher and member of the “Reading for Change Group”. The group advocates for human rights and democracy in Sudan.
On 5 and 6 of March 2022 three human rights defenders, Youseif Yagoub Ahmed, Mohamed Ibrahim Yahya and Mohamed Eldai Musa were killed in Jabal Moon, West Darfur by armed militia while they were doing an assessment on the human rights and humanitarian situation in West Darfur. The three human rights defenders were members of Darfur Human Rights Monitors network, a network of human rights monitoring groups in the five states of Darfur.
Youseif Yagoub Ahmed, 35 years old, was a human rights defender, a graduate of Al Neelain University, a member of the Darfur Human Rights Monitors network, and he worked with World Concern in West Darfur. World Concern is a Christian relief and development organization working in the poorest and most remote areas.
Mohammed Ibrahim Yahya, 27 years old, was a human rights defender, a graduate of Sudan University for Technology, a member of Darfur Human Rights Monitors network, a teacher and member of the “Reading for Change Group”. The group advocates for human rights and democracy in Sudan.
Mohamed Eldai Musa, 28 years old, was a human rights defender, member of a Darfur Human Rights Monitors network and a member of a resistance committee in West Darfur, which is an informal, grassroots network of Sudanese residents that started organising civil disobedience campaigns against the government of Omar al-Bashir in 2013 and became a major organised network playing a key role in Sudan.
On 5 of March armed militia attacked Karka, Um Kharoba and Um Jumina in West Darfur. The three human rights defenders were killed while travelling on a road in Jabal Moon near the attacked areas. Youseif Yagoub Ahmed and Mohamed Eldai Musa were killed immediately after being shot by live bullets in the head and chest. Mohammed Ibrahim Yahya died the following day as a result of severe injuries to his chest due to the militia attacks.
As a consequence of the spread of militant groups in Darfur, human rights defenders and activists are in severe danger as a result of their work. The human rights situation in Darfur in general has deteriorated after the withdrawal of the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) two years ago, following the termination of its mandate according to a UN Security Council resolution (2559/2020).
Front Line Defenders condemns the murder of human rights defenders Youseif Yagoub Ahmed, Mohammed Ibrahim Yahya and Mohamed Eldai Musa as it believes they were killed as a result of witnessing the outbreak of a violent clash while they were carrying out their human rights work in West Darfur. Front Line Defenders is concerned about the escalation of violence in West Darfur, and the dangerous context in which human rights defenders and civilians find themselves.
