Renewed clashes in South Kordofan

Tribal clashes renewed in Abu Jubeiha, South Kordofan, leaving at least two more dead and two others wounded. The security situation is still very tense and all government departments and markets in the town have remained closed for the third day in a row.

The mayor of Abu Jubeiha, El Nil Hussein, told Radio Dabanga that an armed group carried out an attack on the El Fareeg neighbourhood just after sunset on Tuesday, killing two people and wounding at least two. The attack also led to the displacement of a large number of people from Abu Jubeiha to Kosti in White Nile state and Um Rawaba in North Kordofan.

Hussein said that the closure of government departments and markets in Abu Jubeiha exacerbated the suffering of the population, especially with lacking efforts by aid organisations to help those affected by the conflict.

Military reinforcements arrived in the town, but they were unable to stop the fighting that broke out between herders of Hawazma (a clan of the Arab Baggara tribe) and Kenana tribesmen.

The mayor warned that despite the curfew that was imposed on Tuesday, the situation in the town is likely to explode at any moment. He referred to the continuous flow of militant tribesmen to the town from outside the locality.

Locals threatened to defend the town and its residents by themselves if the government did exert its power by stopping the flow of militants into the town.

The Executive Director of Abu Jubeiha locality in South Kordofan, Simon Tab, announced the imposition of a curfew in the town on Tuesday afternoon, extending from eight in the evening until five in the morning.

He said that at least 19 people had been killed so far among the parties involved in the conflict, along with 41 wounded, 16 of whom are still in critical condition.

He stressed that government forces were unable to control the situation in the town due to the intense shooting and the influx of militants from several areas.

Earlier this week, it looked like the situation was relatively calm.