Three killed by unknown gunmen in East Darfur

February 23, 2015 (NYALA) – Three people were killed and four others injured in an attack by unknown gunmen in Girfa area in East Darfur’s state locality of Adila.

An eyewitness told Sudan Tribune that an armed groups on Camel backs opened fire on a gathering of people during a wedding ceremony on Saturday, killing three people and seriously wounding four others.

He added the attackers took the defenceless citizens by surprise and fired a hail of bullets at them before escaping, noting the injured are in serious condition and have been transferred to the hospital in the capital of North Kordofan state, El-Obeid.

The same eyewitness said the incident is more likely related to ongoing tribal clashes between the Ma’alia and Hamar tribes, describing the crime as “hideous”.

Intermittent clashes have been erupting between Hamar tribe which dwells in West Kordofan state and Ma’alia tribe which inhabits in East Darfur.

The two tribes clashed two month ago at Um Dibo area in the locality of Al-Garor in West Kordofan state causing the death of dozens of tribesmen besides injuring more than 27 others.

Fighting also erupted between the Rizeigat and Ma’alia tribes in East Darfur last August leaving 200 dead and hundreds wounded from both side.

A reconciliation conference between Ma’alia and Rizeigat was convened on 15 February under the auspices of the first vice-president, Bakri Hassan Salih, in the locality of Merawi in the Northern state.

Tribal fighting, which is usually triggered by disputes over land ownership, 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.

(ST)