Clashes in Sudan’s Darfur kill more than 100: tribal leader

• Clashes in Sudan’s Darfur region between Arab and non-Arab groups.
• Ethnic African Gimir tribe clashes with Arab Rizeigat tribe.
• West Darfur state has been gripped by deadly bouts of violence.

The latest clashes in Sudan’s Darfur region between Arab and non-Arab groups have killed more than 100 people, According to a tribal leader.

Several hundred people have died in clashes in the region since late last year, as Sudan deals with the fallout from a coup led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in October.

“The fighting killed 117 people and burned 14 villages,” said Ibrahim Hashem, an ethnic African Gimir tribe leader.

Hashem said the deaths were largely among the Gimir tribe during clashes with the Arab Rizeigat tribe.

It was not immediately clear how many were killed among the Arab tribe.

The fighting broke out last week following a land dispute between two people, one from the Rizeigat and another from the Gimir.

It took place near Kolbus, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) from the state capital El Geneina.

Hashem said “many people” from his tribe have gone missing since the violence broke out and which was continuing on Monday.

West Darfur state, the arid region of Sudan bordering Chad, has been gripped in recent months by the deadly bouts of violence.

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In April, more than 200 people were killed in clashes between Arab and non-Arab groups in West Darfur.

On Monday, UN special representative Volker Perthes said he was “appalled” by the violence in Kolbus.

“The cycle of violence in Darfur is unacceptable & highlights root causes that must be addressed,” he said on Twitter.

The Darfur region was the scene of a civil war during the three-decade rule of president Omar al-Bashir.

He armed some Arab groups — known as Janjaweed — to fight ethnic minority rebels demanding an end to marginalization by his Arab-dominated regime.

According to the United Nations, the scorched-earth campaign killed 300,000 people and displaced 2.5 million.

Despite the fact that key rebel groups signed a peace agreement in 2020, deadly clashes continue to erupt over land, livestock, access to water, and grazing.

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