Villages burned and civilians flee as tribal clashes erupt in South Darfur using RSF vehicles

May 31, Kubum — Fighting between the Salamat and Beni Halba tribes reignited on Saturday in South Darfur state, with both sides deploying Rapid Support Forces vehicles in the clashes, eyewitnesses told Sudan Tribune on Sunday. The fighting has left an unconfirmed number of fighters dead, with villages burned and thousands of civilians displaced.

Eyewitnesses said armed fighters from both tribes used RSF vehicles in ongoing clashes around the town of Kubum, with the fighting subsequently spreading to the villages of Wastani, Mirkindi, and parts of Central Darfur state where both communities reside. The two sides deliberately set fire to villages, triggering large-scale displacement from Kubum, Mirkindi, and Damba toward Ad al-Fursan.

Videos circulating on social media showed fires burning inside Kubum, as well as footage activists described as showing the mutilation of bodies and the torture of captives.

Eyewitnesses said fighters from both sides had been killed but some bodies remained unburied out of fear of ambush.

The Salamat and Beni Halba tribes had reached a reconciliation agreement in December 2025 brokered by the RSF, ending a previous round of fighting. The current clashes were triggered last week by the killing of a herder.

The RSF routinely recruits fighters through tribal and clan leaders, but such fighters frequently revert to tribal loyalties when inter-communal conflicts erupt. The use of RSF military vehicles in the clashes reflects the blurred lines between the paramilitary force and the tribal militias operating under its umbrella across Darfur.