Tribal clashes in Kassala and West Kordofan, authorities fail to adequately intervene

At least nine people were killed in renewed tribal clashes in Reefi locality in Kassala and in El Sunut locality in West Kordofan this week. In Kassala, a tribal leader had asked the state’s police to transfer more police to the area whilst a tribal leader in West Kordofan had asked the state’s security committee to intervene.

In Kassala, hree people were killed and three others were injured as a result of renewed tribal clashes that broke out in the twon on Monday evening.

In a press conference in Kassala yesterday, Secretary-General of the Kassala state government and Head of the state’s security committee Adel Aloub held youth of the Beni Amer and Habbab clans responsible for the renewed fighting in Ed Sidna in Kassala’s Reefi locality.

He explained that both sides of the conflict exchanged accusations about the start of the clashes, and he accused them of failing to maintain security.

El Ameen El Sayid, the deputy nazir* of the Sidarat clan, said in the press conference that the director of the state police had been asked earlier to transfer more police to Ed Sidna as the area is witnessing increased tensions.

The state government confirmed that it is seeking to sign a cessation of hostilities between the two conflicting parties.

Last month, leaders of the Beni Amer, Habab, and Sibarat tribes signed an accord to put an end to inter-tribal hostilities.

West Kordofan

At least six people were killed and many others injured in renewed tribal clashes in El Sunut in West Kordofan on Tuesday. There were conflicting reports about the number of dead and wounded.

The media secretary of the National Umma Party branch in West Kordofan, Salah Mohamedi, told Radio Dabanga that clashes erupted as a result of “a direct attack” of one of the parties to the conflict, following earlier fighting on Saturday. He explained that the clashes not only resulted in deaths and injuries, but also in the burning of a village and the looting of property.

Abdelgadir Mansour, nazir of the Hamar clans, denounced the attack. He said in an interview with Radio Dabanga’s Voices of the States programme that at least six people were killed during the clashes. He condemned the attack and referred to the deep-rooted brotherly relations between the two Hamar clans, and explained that he had requested the state’s security committee to intervene.

* A nazir is a state-appointed administrative chief of a tribe or clan according to the Native Administration system in Sudan introduced by the British colonial authorities in the first quarter of the twentieth century.