War may rage all over Darfur, official warns

May 2, 2023 ( (KHARTOUM) – A senior official in West Darfur State Tuesday warned against the potential consequences of a civil war engulfing the entire western Sudan region, following the looting of thousands of weapons from the police’s weapons depots in El Geneina.

Last week, violent clashes erupted between the national army and the Rapid Support Forces in El Geneina. The fighting later turned into a tribal conflict between the Masalit and Arab tribes.

The violence resulted in over 90 deaths, massive infrastructure destruction, and widespread looting of government institutions, international organization headquarters, and civilians’ homes.

According to the official who spoke to Sudan Tribune under anonymity, armed men from the Masalit ethnic group managed to acquire approximately 7,000 weapons, including heavy weapons, after raiding a police chief’s armoury.

He believes that the possession of government weapons by conflicting tribes is an indication that an all-out civil war may occur shortly.

The official accused unnamed military parties of aiding tribal militants in accessing storage sites for government weapons and looting them in an attempt to cause chaos and break the security contract.

He also revealed that the State Security Committee asked traditional leaders of the Native Administration to help return the looted weapons to the police stores, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

However, Mohamed Hasaballah, a Masalit tribe leader, denied any connection between his tribe and the looting of weapons from government depots or any intention to arm themselves to face a potential new war.

He instead accused the paramilitary forces of participating in the fresh tribal clashes and arming their Arab tribes.

Meanwhile, activists from Darfur Arab groups called in audio recordings for the support of their fellow tribesmen in Chad and Niger.

For their part, Darfur tribes’ activists are calling for arming to take revenge on the RSF militiamen, who have been accused of participating in tribal fighting in Darfur over the past three years.

In statements to the Sudan Tribune, the head of the Shura Council of the Gamar tribe, Abkar Altom, warned that the situation in the entire Darfur region is likely to explode at any moment, given the continued military mobilization of the population groups.

Altom criticized the West Darfur State Security Committee for allowing tribal militias to invade El Geneina, kill citizens, and loot government institutions and international organization headquarters.

Mediation led by leaders from the Native Administration and the Governor of South Darfur, Hamid al-Tijani Hanoun, resulted in a temporary halt to the fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces..

However, Local observers say the fighting is likely to renew on tribal lines, in light of the continued influx of tribal militants into areas under the control of the Rapid Support Forces in eastern Nyala.

(ST)