West Darfur: At least 168 dead, 110 injured in ‘tribal’ massacre

At least 168 people are dead and 110 injured in the deadly attacks between the Arab and Masalit tribes in the Kereinik area of West Darfur, on Sunday. Many have claimed that the joint forces deployed on Saturday to quell what is widely reported as a 'tribal clash' were responsible for Sunday’s atrocities, due to them “withdrawing as soon as the offensive began”.

Ahmed Mohammed, a local eyewitness, told Radio Dabanga the exact extent of the violence he observed during Sunday’s deadly clash. Mohammed said that during the six-hour attack, a number of teachers, police officers, and worshipers leaving the mosque were killed. He claimed that at least 17 children were among the dead by his account.

Mohammed also stated that those wounded during the clash were unable to be transported to El Geneina Hospital, due to the armed militias controlling the roads. Mohammed held the joint forces accountable for the attack due to their withdrawal, which failed to contain the violence and allowed it to go on unfettered.

The Sultan of Dar Masalit, Saad Eldein, told Radio Dabanga’s Sudan Today programme, the joint forces withdrew from the attack “three minutes after the offensive began”.

Sultan Eldein stated that he “considered their withdrawal as an unforgivable crime” and called on them to be held accountable for their abandonment. He also accused members of the security services of complicity in the Kereinik attack.

West Darfur attack leaves thousands displaced

In the West Darfur city of El Geneina, people have been living in extremely difficult security conditions since being displaced from the start of these attacks, last week.

The Darfur Bar Association and its partners said in a statement yesterday that the events in the Kereinik area resulted in many casualties and injuries, and the displacement of nearly 20,000 people.

For the past two years, West Darfur has witnessed tribal conflicts that have claimed the lives of large numbers of civilians and displaced thousands who are now living in shelters in El Geneina, while some of them have sought refuge in Chad.