At least 36 people have been murdered and dozens more injured in confrontations in South Darfur between Arab and non-Arab tribes over the weekend.
Witnesses say violence broke out Saturday between the Arab Taisha and the ethnic African Fallata tribes in South Darfur’s rural Um Dafuq area.
According to the official news agency SUNA, tranquility had been restored by Monday.
“Military forces were deployed to the areas of clashes to resolve the conflict between Fallata and Taisha tribes which left 36 killed and 32 wounded,” SUNA reported late on Sunday quoting South Darfur officials.
Although the cause of the clashes was not immediately known, such conflict often occurs in the Darfur area for land and access to water.
Eissa Omar, a resident of Um Dafuq, told the AFP news agency that “we heard the sound of heavy weapons throughout the fighting” on Saturday and Sunday.
In recent months, the huge Darfur area in western Sudan has seen similar outbreaks of violence.
In April, at least 132 people were murdered in clashes between members of the Massalit tribe and Arab populations in West Darfur, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency.
In January, violent conflicts between Arab and non-Arab tribes killed around 250 people in the West and South Darfur regions.
Sudan is navigating a difficult transition period following the ouster of long-serving President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, after large demonstrations against his administration.
The transitional government formed in the aftermath of Bashir’s removal has been pressing for the resolution of long-running conflicts, especially in Darfur.
