Protest in El Geneina demands stop to West Darfur violence

The Resistance Committees active in the neighbourhoods of El Geneina, capital of West Darfur, organised a protest vigil in front of the state government offices condemning the recent violence in Jebel Moon, which killed at least 35 people at the end of last week.

Participants in the vigil carried banners holding the state government responsible for the attacks “because they do not undertake their duty to protect citizens”.

Leading members of the Resistance Committees said in speeches that the military coup d’état of October 25 2021 exacerbated the insecurity in Darfur.

They said that the conflicts in West Darfur are not tribal, but driven by control of resources, and hold the federal government responsible for the seizure of resources in Mount Moon through the burning of land policy and forced displacement, pointing to the continuation of attacks for a week.

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (STSG) for Sudan, and head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), Volker Perthes, has appealed to all parties to put an end to the current wave of violence that is destabilising the country, and that “those responsible must be held accountable”.

In a statement issued by his office on Saturday, Perthes cites reports received by the UN over the past week of violent incidents in and around Jebel Moon in West Darfur. “This has included the burning of villages and the unfortunate death of tens of Sudanese, representing another alarming sign of the increasing instability in Sudan.”

Similar tribal violence broke out in November 2021 in Jebel Moon, leaving 43 dead and burned 46 villages, according to the United Nations.

On Thursday, local media reported that tribal violence was renewed in the area of Jebel Moon, without mentioning the cause of fighting. Meanwhile, many areas in Darfur are experiencing a bloody deployment among tribes within conflicts on earth, resources, and grazing tracks.