KHARTOUM, June 14(ABC): Clashes in Sudan s Darfur between Arab and non-Arab groups have killed more than 100 people, adding to a toll of hundreds in the region over recent months.
The latest fighting broke out last week between the Arab Rizeigat and non-Arab Gimir tribes in the district of Kolbus, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) from El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state.
It started as a land dispute between two people, one from the Rizeigat and another from the Gimir, before morphing into broader violence involving other members from both tribes.
“The fighting has so far killed 117 people and left 17 villages burnt,” including three on Monday, Ibrahim Hashem, a leader in the ethnic African Gimir tribe, told AFP by phone.
Hashem said the deaths counted so far were largely among the Gimir tribe. He added that “many people” from his tribe have gone missing since the violence broke out and which was continuing. It was not immediately clear how many were killed among the Arab tribe.
The latest violence highlighted a broader security breakdown in Darfur which was exacerbated by last year s military coup led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The October coup derailed a fragile transition put in place following the 2019 ouster of president Omar al-Bashir.
