Sudan Deploys Military Reinforcements, Warplane in West Darfur to Curb Tribal Attacks

Burning houses in Kerenkeik area east of West Darfur capital Geneina, following inter-communal clashes on April 22, 2022

April 23, 2022 (GENEINA) – The Sudanese government on Saturday dispatched military forces to the West Darfur, to restore security and put an end to the continued inter-communal clashes in the troubled state.

The deployment of heavily armed troops and a military aircraft intervene one day after the bloody fighting in the locality of Kereneink, east of the state capital Geneina, where 8 people were killed and 16 wounded. Also, a camp housing thousands of displaced people was burned.

The fresh attacks took place on Thursday following the killing of two Arab herders by gunmen in the “area, which led their families to launch a revenge attack on the area.

The assailants say the two herders had been killed by former rebel elements belonging to the Sudanese Alliance Movement led by the Governor of West Darfur, Khamis Abdullah Abkar.

The Executive Director of Kereneink locality, Nasser al-Zein, told the Sudan Tribune that military equipment, large numbers of soldiers and a warplane had arrived in his locality, as part of measures aimed at controlling the tribal violence that took place in the area on Friday.

“The central authority has begun to feel the seriousness of the security situation in the crisis state for years, pointing out that the demands of the state government to provide military support to resolve tribal conflicts have found a partial response by the central government.

“The central authority began to feel the seriousness of the security situation in the state, which has been in crisis for years,” said a senior state official who declined to be identified.

He added that Khartoum partially responded to the demands made by the state government.

The governor had requested to replace the Arab elements of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) deployed in the area, as some of them took part in the attacks on the Massalits farmers.

Further, the state official said that the military reinforcements deployed in the state and additional forces that will arrive soon have been given wide powers to deal with the attacker who terrorize the population.

Regarding the military aeroplane, it will intervene to disperse tribal men when they gather before carrying out their attacks.

The Jebel Moon area of West Darfur state, which is close to the Chadian border, witnesses frequent clashes between Arab shepherd tribes and Masalit farmers.

The state authorities confessed their failure to protect civilians saying the Arab groups use advanced weapons and requested Khartoum’s help.

In a statement on Saturday, a human rights group, Darfur Lawyer’s Association, said that the recent tribal violence in the Kereneink area led to the displacement of about 20,000 residents.

The group pointed out that the recurrence of the bloody inter-communal incidents demonstrates the complete absence of the state.

The statement further stressed that the bloody conflicts between tribes and armed militias are at a higher rate than before the signing of the Juba peace agreement,

This is an indication of the failure of the peace agreement to improve the security situation in Darfur, said the group.

(ST)