Land dispute clash in eastern Sudan leaves at least 7 dead

August 8, 2025 (GEDAREF) – At least seven people were killed in Sudan’s eastern Gedaref state on Thursday after a protest over a land dispute erupted into violence, local witnesses and police told Sudan Tribune.

The confrontation began when an officer allied with the army opened fire on demonstrators, killing five, before he and a companion were killed by the crowd in retaliation.

The violence flared in the Al-Qadambaliyya area after residents blocked the main highway connecting the cities of Gedaref and Madani. Witnesses said the residents were protesting the seizure of agricultural land by a local merchant.

A lieutenant colonel from the Sudan Shield Forces, an armed group allied with the military, attempted to pass through the blockade. After protesters confronted him, the officer opened fire with a machine gun, killing five people and injuring several others, the witnesses added.

Following the shooting, a crowd of villagers attacked the officer’s vehicle, beating him and one of his companions to death and setting the car on fire.

In a statement, police confirmed that “a number of citizens” were killed and five others were injured. The statement added that a joint security force had been dispatched to the scene.

A state security committee, led by the governor, travelled to the area to contain the situation, the police said. Authorities have opened an investigation into the incident.