Renewed fighting in West Kordofan but peace deals in South Kordofan and Central Darfur

Six people were killed, dozens were injured, and an entire village was burned to the ground in renewed tribal clashes in En Nehoud in West Kordofan this weekend. In South Kordofan, leaders of the Kenana tribe and the Hawazma that were in conflict this summer signed an agreement on peaceful coexistence. In Central Darfur, a peace deal was signed as well after serious fighting earlier this month.

Six people were killed, dozens were injured, and a number of houses were torched in renewed tribal clashes in En Nehoud in West Kordofan on Saturday and Sunday.

Activist Salah Mohamedi told Radio Dabanga that armed men in 14 four-wheel-drive vehicles attacked two villages in the area of Um Shalakha in En Nehoud locality on Saturday. Two people were killed, 20 others were wounded, and dozens of homes were burned in Saturday’s initial clashes.

The attacks continued on Sunday, killing another four villagers and injuring about 20. The entire village of Um Shalakla was burned to the ground, with no houses remaining intact.

Mohamedi lamented the absence of government forces while the violence is escalating and called on the authorities to intervene urgently.

En Nehoud witnessed violence earlier this year following a conflict concerning the demarcation of the border between the Hamar and Misseriya tribes in the area. The clashes left at least six people dead. More than 20 others were injured.

The conflicting parties signed a reconciliation agreement on September 21.

Later, however, the Hamar organised a large demonstration in En Nehoud and occupied premises of the Sudanese Company for Mineral Resources. In a press statement at the time, Hamad said that they are calling for a new state of Central Kordofan consisting of six localities, with En Nehoud as its capital.

Abu Jubeiha

The area of Abu Jubeiha in South Kordofan is witnessing stability after leaders of the Kenana tribe and the Hawazma, part of the Baggara tribe, signed an agreement on peaceful coexistence.

The area witnessed several clashes between the two tribes in June this year.

The Director of the Abu Jubeiha, Simon Tab, explained that the signing came after great efforts by the locality’s Community Committee, which organised individual meetings with the conflicting parties, both are nomadic herding tribes, until an agreement was reached to stop hostilities. 

He said that arrangements are now being made to sign a comprehensive reconciliation accord.   

Central Darfur

On Sunday, leaders of the Misseriya and Awlad Rashid clan of the Rizeigat tribe signed a reconciliation agreement under the auspices of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Central Darfur following in Wadi Salih and Bindisi during the past weeks. 

Radio Dabanga reported last week that at least 48 were killed in clashes between the Misseriya and Rizeigat in Bindisi earlier this month. Mediators tasked by authorities to settle the conflict were attacked and killed too.

The signing ceremony was attended by the commander of the RSF Central Darfur Sector, Maj Ali Yagoub Jibril, and the reconciliation committee headed by Shartay Mohamed Saleh.

The native administration leaders of the two parties affirmed their commitment to the agreement and abstain from further violence.

Like the Kenana tribe and the Hawazma in South Kordofan, both are Arab nomadic herding tribes.

Earlier in June, the Rizeigat and Misseriya tribes also signed a reconciliation document during a wave of reconciliation agreements in Darfur. These agreements brokered by coup leader, Deputy-Chairman of the Sovereignty Council, and Commander-in-Chief of the infamous RSF Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemeti’ Dagalo, have been criticised as being ‘superficial’.