Abbala gunmen ambush Beni Hussein farmers in North Darfur

Gunmen from the Abbala tribe allegedly ambushed members of the Beni Hussein tribe in the locality of El Sareif Beni Hussein, North Darfur, on Sunday afternoon. One person was reportedly killed and another injured.   A relative of the deceased told Radio Dabanga that in the area of Kheiran a group of Beni Hussein farmers seized 62 camels that were destroying their farmlands, and took the animals to a “stable for abandoned livestock”. The owners of the camels from the Abbala tribe agreed to pay SDG8,000 ($1,800) in compensation for the destroyed crops, so 57 camels were released immediately. The five remaining camels would be released after the full amount was settled. A witness reported to Radio Dabanga that later on Sunday a delegation of farmers went from Umm Jarwa, 7km southwest of El Sareif town, to Kheiran in order to receive the SDG8,000. However, they were ambushed by Abbala tribesmen who opened fire on them. This led to the death of Noureldin Abdelrahim who was killed outright, and the injury of Elradi Adam Idris. The witness said that on Monday a lengthy “dispute resolution meeting” between the two tribes took place in order to contain and resolve the problem.The Abbala and Beni Hussein tribes fought violently earlier this year over control of the Jebel ‘Amer gold mine in El Sareif Beni Hussein locality. Hundreds of people were killed and injured, and more than 100 villages torched. The UN estimated that more than 100,000 people were displaced from their homes.The violence ended with a treaty signed following a reconciliation conference between the omdas from the tribes and a tribal mediation committee in the state capital, El Fasher, at the end of July. File photo by Albert Gonzalez Farran /Unamid