One killed in eastern Sudan tribal fighting

Fighting erupted between Nuba and Beni Amer tribesmen in New Halfa in Kassala state on Saturday. One person was killed, and more than a dozen people were wounded.

Dozens of homes in the town’s districts El Jamhuriya and Kadugli were burned during the violence.

Although the authorities closed the town market and imposed a curfew, the fighting continued on Sunday.

Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that a large security and military force was deployed, blocking the entrances to the town and searching all vehicles. Army reinforcements arrived from Khashm El Girba on Saturday evening. Rapid Support Forces reinforcements arrived that same evening as well.

Members of the Resistance Committees in New Halfa hold the governor and the security committee of Kassala responsible for the violence. In a statement on Sunday, they attributed the problems to the withdrawal of the army from El Jamhuriya district on Saturday. When the fighting started, the security forces in the town refused to intervene, saying they did not receive instructions and were waiting for reinforcements.

The Resistance Committees called on the people of Kassala to donate blood to save the lives of the people injured during the violence.

On May 8, people from Nuba tribes in South Kordofan who settled in Kassala and eastern Sudanese Beni Amer and El Habab tribesmen clashed in Kassala. The fighting lasted three days, left eight dead, and more than 80 injured. Following reconciliation efforts by tribal leaders, and the deployment of a government security force to quell the clashes, calm returned to Kassala.

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