1987 Dhein massacre
That Friday night, some Dinkas fled, with some hiding with local families in Dhein, while others sought refuge in Hillat Sikka Hadid, a neighbourhood near the railway station, where they were under police protection.
On Saturday morning, 28 March 1987, officials moved the Dinkas from Hillat Sikka Hadid to the railway station to evacuate them from the town for their safety.
Dhein was also strategically located in the conflict between the government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) south of Bahr al-Arab.
[2]: 9 Dinka migration to Dhein began in 1964 due to the First Sudanese Civil War, and they established a church in the town around the same time, aimed for cordial relations with Muslims by offering English classes and a nursery.
Many of the Dinka returned south post-Addis Ababa Agreement (1972) but fled back to Dhein during the Second Sudanese Civil War due to militia attacks.
The Transitional Military Council (TMC) saw Dinka support as crucial to the SPLA, prompting strategies to undermine it by arming the Muraheleen militia, which was made of Rizeigat and Misseiria.
By late 1985, militias began attacking Dinka villages, resulting in numerous deaths, kidnappings of women and children, cattle theft, and property destruction.
These assaults persisted and became a primary source of income, with government officials allegedly involved in selling the stolen cattle until SPLA forces provided protection in mid-1986.
The government's tactics caused widespread Dinka displacement and reinforced banditry and slavery among the Rizeigat, creating a hostile environment that led to massacres.
Around fifty from the Muraheleen militia (mainly from the Rizeigat Arabs) assaulted Dinka worshippers, who had gathered for evening prayers, with weapons including spears, knives, and a gun, beating them and chasing them out.
The Dinkas faced obstructions from attackers, including women and children, who even prevented the police and fire services from intervening.
[2]: 14 On 28 March at 7 a.m., government officials, including Administrative Officer Adam al-Tahir and the Deputy Police Chief of Dhein Ali al-Manna, moved the Dinkas from Hillat Sikka Hadid to the railway station.
In Kas and Nyala, they received aid from Oxfam, the Red Cross, United States Agency for International Development, European Economic Community, and the Sudan Council of Churches, with local residents also providing food and shelter.
[2]: 19 Contrary, the Islamic Front through its Al-Rai Al-Aam newspaper reported over 900 deaths, with 426 killed at the railway station, 200 near the water yard, and 367 near the church.
[3] But according to the Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Association (SRRA), government policies exacerbated ethnic tensions and encouraged Rizeigat militias to engage in violent and criminal activities, resulting in the massacre.
Internal conflicts within the Rizeigat community included disagreements between old sheikhs and the youth and class disparities exacerbated by economic changes.
Deputy Chief of Police Ali al-Manna was in shock and failed to give coherent orders, eventually retreating to his office.
Additionally, survivor Agol Akol overheard a conversation about expelling the Dinkas from Dhein four days before the massacre but was not believed when she reported it.
