Two more militiamen die after army, militia clashes in Darfur’s East Jebel Marra

More than 13 members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) injured in clashes with army forces in East Jebel Marra, arrived at Kabkabiya in North Darfur on Tuesday.

On Monday, fierce clashes between Sudanese army and RSF militia troops erupted in Khazan Tunjur, after soldiers protested RSF assaults on civilians in the area. Seven militia members and two army troops were killed, and at least eight militiamen and four soldiers were injured.

A military source informed Dabanga that two of the militiamen, who arrived at a hospital in Kabkabiya, died of their wounds on Tuesday.

According to the Sudan Liberation Movement-MM, about 200,000 Darfuris were displaced in December and January. Since the start of the government’s offensive in Darfur at the end of December last year, 120 civilians died, 45 villages burned to ashes, and 30,000 head of livestock were stolen, Yahya Sadam, Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator of the Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) said in a statement on Tuesday.

He appealed to the international community to intervene, and called on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to protect the civilians in the war-torn region, and prevent further killings and displacement. He furthermore urged relief organisations to provide support to the newly displaced “as soon as possible”.