83 People Killed in West Darfur Attacks: Medical Group

Bodies of the victims of attacks on the residents of Krinding camp on 16 January 2021 (ST photo)

January 17, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - At least 83 people were killed in tribal revenge attacks in West Darfur State following the death of a man from an Arab clan in a quarrel with another from the Massalit group.

In what seems like a repetition of the bloody attacks of December 2019, the argument between the two men occurred on Saturday near Krinding camp outside the state capital El-Geneina exactly like the first one.

Following the murder, the perpetrator was apprehended and handed over to the police.

However, gunmen from the Arab tribes gathered quickly and surrounded the displacement camps of Krinding and before to launch indiscriminate attacks on the residents.

"The death toll from the bloody events in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur State, has increased since Saturday morning, to 83 dead and 160 wounded (...),". said the West Darfur Doctors Committee in a statement on Sunday.

The Security and Defence Council, in an emergency meeting on Sunday, decided to send security reinforcements to West Darfur, to protect civilians and vital facilities.

Also, a delegation including officials from the Attorney General office and security services arrived in El-Geneina to investigate the attacks and determine responsibilities.

Civil society groups condemned the inaction of the security forces which did not deal quickly with the attacks, they said.

According to Adam Rijal, spokesman for the General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees Camps, the situation in El Geneina is difficult and extremely complex despite the arrival of military reinforcements from El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, and Zalingei, the capital of Central Darfur State.

The attacks confirm the absence of the security services and their failure to protect civilians, said the Sudanese professional Association before to call for investigation and accountability in the security services.

The attack is the first of its kind after the signing of the Juba peace agreement last October.

The government and the armed groups agreed to deploy some 16,000 joint force in the region after the withdrawal of the UNAMID.

However, the joint force has not yet been deployed on the ground until now.

The State Governor imposed a curfew in West Darfur.

The Doctors committee said the curfew complicate the movement of the medical personnel as well as the blood donors.

"There are also critical cases that require to be transferred Khartoum," further said the medical group.

Commentators say the continued attack on civilians show the weak impact of the peace agreement on the ground and the government failure to disarm the population.

"Nothing makes the gunmen continue to shed blood more than their certitude that the law does not and will not affect them," wrote Shamael al-Nur, a Sudanese colonist on Sunday.

(ST)