Urgent Press Release: Kajbar Massacre

Urgent Press Release
Rescue Nubia and Resist Kajbar Dam Committee, US chapter

Date: June 14, 2007


On June 13, 2007 we received disturbing news from Kajbar area in Northern Sudan informing that the security forces have used excessive force to disperse a peaceful demonstration by Nubians protesting the construction of a dam at Third Cataract by Kajbar village. The security forces used tear gas and life ammunitions killing at least 6 people and wounding many others. The date palm trees in the area along the Nile were set on fire when peaceful demonstrators used them as protective shields from sporadic shooting. The security forces started shooting on the crowd from the surrounding mountains when the demonstrators came across a narrow passage on their way to an open area few kilometers south of the site of the proposed dam.

Those killed include:
1. Mohamed Fageer Mohamed from Farraig
2. Sadig Salim from Faraig
3. Shaikheldin Haj From Nawri
4. Abdelmoiz Mohamed Abdelrahim from Shrgifad

19 others were injured among them four are in critical condition and getting treatment in Dongola Hospital. The secretary of the Committee informed the news papers that some people are still missing and some threw themselves in the river Nile to escape from bullets and tear gas.

The wounded include:
1. Sidahmed Osman Nouri from Mashakaila
2. Khairi Osman Ismail from Mashakaila
3. Osman Ibrahim Osman from Farraig
4. Farah Abdelrahim Farah from Shargifad
5. Hamid hamad Hamid from Kajbar
6. Elfadil Mohamed fageer from Kajbar
7. Mursi Sid Ahmed from Kajbar
8. Abdelmalik Ali Daoud from Kajbar.

The local authorities refused to allow the ambulance led by a doctor to be at the seen to rescue the wounded ones and conduct autopsy on those who got killed.

Following the tragic incidents of Kajbar, the Nubians in Khartoum organized demonstrations and many of them were arrested and their whereabouts are unknown till now.

On the other hand the Mahas Nubian Club in Khartoum has opened a condolence book for three days and almost representatives of all major Sudanese political parties except the ruling National Congress Party paid homage to the Nubian martyrs and demanded a fair and thorough investigation in to the tragic massacre of Kajbar. All Nubian organization and associations condemned the bloody massacre of the Nubians and demanded investigation and prosecution of those responsible of killings.

The Rescue Nubia and Resist Kajbar Dam Committee in US condemns this barbaric attack on the peaceful demonstration and demands urgent action to send an impartial investigation team to the area and meet the highly needed ambulatory services to those peaceful civilians who got injured in the brutal attacks.

The Rescue Nubia and Resist Kajbar Committee calls upon the international community to urgently step in to protect the Nubians from the brutality of the security forces of the ruling National Congress party (AKA the National Islamic Front – NIF) and support the Nubians demands to stop building dams in the Nubian lands and to put all those who killed the peaceful demonstrators among the wanted criminals by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Nubians like many other indigenous people in Sudan are facing a war or cultural cleansing and systematic marginalization, forcible relocations and deprivation by the Islamist government which is hostile to the Nubian culture and heritage. To express their resentment to the hostile policies of the Islamist government, the Rescue Nubia and Resist Kajbar Dam Committee, US chapter organized series of demonstrations in front of the Sudanese and Chinese embassies in Washington, DC and in front of the United Nations on May 21 and June 7, 2007 respectively and handed over letters to Sudan ambassador in Washington, DC and UN Secretary General Office in New York. The Chinese ambassador refused to receive the protest letter. On the same line the Nubians in London organized demonstrations in front of Sudan and China embassies and the Chinese ambassador in London also refused to receive their letter.

The Nubians in US supported with Sudanese and American organizations will organize a protest rally in front of Sudan embassy in Washington, DC on June 25, 2007 between 1.00 pm – 3.00 pm. Please join us.


Nuraddin Abdulmannan
Secretary General
Rescue Nubia and Resist Kajbar Committee, US chapter.