One person killed in Central Darfur in tribal vendetta
August 6, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – One person was beaten to death by a group of people in the market of Kabar administrative unit in Um Dukhun County, Central Darfur state, against the background of the tribal conflict between Salamat and Ta’aisha tribes.
Eyewitness told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that Ahmed Al-Mighdad Al-Taher, went shopping at Kabar market when he was attacked by group of men and beaten to death.
An official at Um Dukhun locality, who preferred to stay anonymous, said the two tribes are living in a state of estrangement and tension due to bloody clashes that took place between them and left large numbers of deaths besides displacement of entire communities.
At the time, Salamat accused the notorious Ta’aisha militia leader known as Ali Kushayb, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of using government vehicles to commit crimes of killing and burning against unarmed civilians.
The government of South Darfur state held several reconciliation conferences to resolve tribal clashes but its efforts have not succeeded so far.
A recent United Nations report said that 119 people were killed in tribal clashes in Darfur between April 15 and July 15, pointing there are other numbers of deaths that couldn’t be accounted for.
The report identified 24 tribal clashes that took place in Darfur between April and July, saying 93 people were killed in these clashes compared to the killing of 80 people in 16 clashes between 15 January and 15 April.
It pointed out that the largest clashes took place between Ma’alia and Rizeigat in East Darfur state, Ma’alia and Hamar on the border of East Darfur and West Kordofan states, Rizeigat and Bani Hussein in North Darfur state, and Salamat and Misseriya in Central Darfur.
According to the report, two clashes took place between Ma’alia and Rizeigat during this year. The first one was in May and led to 7 deaths among Rizeigat and 6 others from Ma’alia while the other one was in July and led to the death of 18 people from Rizeigat and undetermined number of deaths among Ma’alia.
Tribal fighting has intensified during the last two years in Darfur and Kordofan regions in western Sudan leading to thousands of dead and injured and forcing over 300,000 people to flee their homes. It is now seen as the first source of violence in Sudan’s western regions.
(ST)