Two soldiers killed in fresh West Darfur attacks

February 14, 2023 (EL GENEINA) – Two Sudanese army soldiers were killed and three others were injured when a security patrol was ambushed by armed men in the Kerenik locality, West Darfur state.

Inter-communal clashes in April 2022 between Arab and Masalit groups in Karenik, 80 km from the capital of West Darfur claimed the lives of 201 people. At the time the two parties traded accusations of the involvement of an armed movement signatory to the Juba peace agreement and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Despite the security measures by the government to end the chronic violence in the area, Kerenik residents last month reported attacks by armed gangs that loot commercial convoys and attack civilians.

The continued attacks prompted the state government to deploy a joint force from the army, RSF and forces from the Central Reserve Police to end the violence and chase the armed gangs.

Nasir al-Zain, Kerenik’s Executive Director, told Sudan Tribune that an armed group ambushed a joint security force patrolling the villages on the outskirts of Kerenik.

“A military force that was in charge of security in the villages of Kerenik was ambushed by an armed group riding motorcycles. The armed assailants randomly shot at the patrol in Qandarni, killing two soldiers and wounding three others. The gunmen fled towards the borders of Central Darfur state,” al-Zain said.

He further said that the governor of the state and the Security Committee inspected the site of the attack and decided to send military reinforcements of about 20 military vehicles (200 troops) in order to pursue and arrest the perpetrators.

He stressed the situation returned to normal after the attack.

West Darfur has been affected during the past three years by bloody tribal attacks that claimed the lives of hundreds of citizens and displaced thousands.

(ST)