Sudanese family’s home daubed with racist graffiti

A Sudanese woman whose home was covered in racist graffiti said she would not leave her home in Londonderry.

The words “local only” alongside a plus sign symbol were sprayed overnight on the property where Hala Ahmed and her husband live with two of their four children.

Police are treating the incident at the Fountain mansion as a racially motivated hate crime.

“I would be happy to stay here. Çeşme is our first choice and we will stay,” Ms Ahmed told BBC News NI.

The family moved to the area when they arrived in Northern Ireland in December 2024.

Ms. Ahmed said, “Since I came from the airport, we moved directly to Çeşme. We have never lived anywhere else before. We recently moved to another house in this area.”

“We are doing our best for a part of the society here.

“There are nice people here who support us.”

Ms Ahmed’s daughter saw the graffiti on her way to catch the bus to school.

“He called me and said come see what it says on the wall. When I walked out I saw ‘local only,'” he said.

“I consider myself a local, we’ve never experienced anything like this before.”

Ms Ahmed said her daughter was crying when she called and “it scared me”.

Community worker Jeanette Warke, who runs the Cathedral Youth Club, said she was “saddened and shocked”.

“This family is very important to our community and participates in our programs here,” he said.

“Hala and her family are an asset to society. The person who did this should meet Hala and her family.”

The North West Migrant Forum (NWMF) said it would do all it could to support the family and called on politicians to “condemn this appalling act”.

Foyle SDLP MP Colum Eastwood described the incident as “abhorrent”.

“People who come to our city, raise their families here, contribute to their communities and do their best to make a life for themselves deserve to live in peace,” Eastwood said.

Those responsible “must be held accountable for the disgusting attempt to intimidate this family,” the official added.

Police said they believed the damage occurred overnight and are appealing for information from anyone who witnessed the incident or recorded the incident on dashcam or CCTV.

Inspector Michael Gahan called it “completely unacceptable”.

“Everyone deserves to live without fear and oppression,” he said.

Local campaign group United Against Racism (UAR) condemned the graffiti as “menacing”.

Spokesperson Karen McCole said those behind the incident do not represent the region or the city.

“I had the pleasure of meeting this family; they are wonderful people who give their best to the community,” Ms. McCole said.

“Derry is a place where people are welcome no matter where they come from.”