Photo: Kate Holt/IRIN

Waiting for food (filr photo): Protests over high costs of food and transport has killed and injured dozens in Nyala, South Darfur.

Nyala — The governor of South Darfur, Hamad Ismail, revealed the outcome of the closed-door meeting he held on Thursday with the Legislative Assembly of the state of South Darfur and the security committee.

During the meeting it was decided that the government of South Darfur should pay a compensation (diyya) to the families of those killed during the Nyala protests. The injured should be sent to Khartoum for medical treatment.

In addition, oil products like gas and benzine, must be returned to the Ministry of Finance's Petroleum Administration. This way the products can be distributed by local authorities, instead of being distributed by security authorities. It was also decided that security forces will no longer hold a trade monopoly over goods like sugar and flour. Security forces normally seize these goods from traders and then redistribute them. Transportation tariffs will cost ½ Sudanese pound (SDP) to students and 1 SDP to the rest of the population.

Hamad Ismail said that during the protests eight people were killed and 33 were injured. A source informed Radio Dabanga that 12 people were killed (9 students) and 63 were injured. The source also reported that two students, one male and one female, were killed in a popular Nyala market. The killers, who belong to the security authorities, were found and arrested. The source added that another student was killed at the Ministry of Education and his killer, from the security forces, was arrested too.

During the meeting it was also decided that security authorities should be held responsible for the killings and injuries related to the demonstrations in Nyala. On another note, the Ministry of Justice of Sudan announced it will create an investigation committee to asses to events that took place in Nyala.