Two killed after tribal clashes in Port Sudan
November 18, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Two people were killed and at least seven others were injured on Monday as a result of tribal clashes in Port Sudan, capital of the eastern Red Sea State.
The security authorities imposed a curfew from 5 pm to 6 am, while army troops were deployed across the town to prevent the resumption of the intercommunal conflict.
The bloody clashes erupted between members of the Beja and Beni Amer tribes following a public meeting held by the leader of United Popular Front for Liberation and Justice (UPFLJ), and Deputy Chairman of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front Amin Daoud, who returned to Sudan last week after long years of exile during the regime of ousted President Omer al-Bashir.
Witnesses told the Sudan Tribune that Port Sudan, in a matter of moments, turned into a war arena when dozens of people scrambled from neighbouring areas with white arms to take part in the clashes at the place of the meeting.
They added that some houses had been burnt in the adjacent neighbourhoods where took place confrontations with white weapons.
The Red Sea Governor, Hafiz al-Taj Makki, blamed al-Amin Daoud for the lawlessness, saying he did not observe an agreement with him to postpone the meeting until security measures are put in place.
Makki told Sudan Television late on Monday that the state security committee had informed him that the current security situation in the city did not allow the organisation of a mass rally in the wake of tribal tensions in Port Sudan several weeks ago.
The governor who was speaking from Khartoum added that he had conveyed this message to Daoud and agreed together that the meeting would be held after Daoud’s return from Juba as the peace talks will resume within four days.
“”We were surprised to learn at nine in the morning that Alamin Daoud moved during the night accompanied by a number of vehicles without permission and without notifying the state government and he was welcomed by a large crowd”.
The governor confirmed that there were human casualties as a result of the tribal clashes but he did not give further details.
“The issue has been resolved by imposing a curfew and the measures will continue,” he further said.
At his speech, Daoud denounced the state government’s refusal to authorize him to address the public meeting and pledge to complain to the Sovereign Council.
In a separate statement Osama Said, SRF spokesperson and a leading member in the Beja Congress regretted the intercommunal clashes before to condemn “in the strongest terms” the killings and sabotage that occurred Monday in Port Sudan as a result of the “severe tribal polarization exploited by the agents of the former regime”
“We call on all the people in Port Sudan from Ben Amer, Al-Hindawah, Al-Marar and the rest of the Beja branches to restraint and not give the opportunity to the promoters of sedition who want to hit our social fabric and create chaos that taking the whole country into a dark tunnel and bring it back to the era of corruption and tyranny”.
He further called on the Prime Minister and his government to travel to Port Sudan to calm the tensions, restore order and to hold accountable the responsible of “this sedition”.
At least 37 people were killed last August during tribal clashes in Port Sudan, between the Beni Amer and Nuba tribes.
(ST)