Beni Hussein tribesmen stage protest in Sudanese capital

June 29, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Members of the Beni Hussein tribe in Khartoum staged a demonstration in front of Sudan’s national assembly on Sunday to protest against an increase in killings and attacks in North Darfur’s El Sereif locality.

The protesters handed a memorandum to parliamentary speaker al-Fatih Izzeldin which noted that 1,013 people were killed and 700 injured since last year’s escalation in violence. They called on the government to put an end to the security breakdown there.

Inter-tribal clashes broke out between members of the rival Arab Northern Rezeigat (Aballa) and Beni Hussein tribes more than a year ago over control of gold mines located in Jebel Amer.

Local MP Ali Adam Sheika said afterwards that the death toll topped 510 people, with 865 injured. He further revealed that 68 villages were completely burnt, 120 partially burnt and at least 15,000 families displaced.

Last June,12 people were killed and 36 injured in renewed clashes.

The head of the Shura council of Beni Hussein, Masar al-Douma, said members plan to meet with the ministers of defence and interior as part of their lobbying efforts to remedy this situation.

He said that their region had been under siege by armed groups for the past months, adding that residents are living in deplorable conditions and suffering from shortages in food and medicine.

Al-Douma said the memo included demands for the government to enforce security in the region and ensure road access, warning of a looming famine unless conditions improved.

“We will declare famine if the government does not interfere,” he said.

(ST)