Burning 8 villages near El Geneina ... and the local authorities impose a curfew

Cautious calm in Darfur after tribal clashes that left 155 people dead

Temporary buildings burned near the city of El Geneina in Darfur, where tribal violence resumed a few days ago.

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Cautious calm reigns in Darfur, western Sudan, after tribal clashes in two different states, which resulted in the killing of 155 people and wounding dozens, and came more than two weeks after the end of the joint peace forces mission between the United Nations and the African Union in the region.

And the violence began, on Saturday, between Arab groups and others from the Masalit tribe, in the city of El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur State, in which at least 100 people were killed and 132 wounded, according to the governor of the state, Muhammad Abdullah Al-Duma.

Organizations working to protect children confirmed that the violence has spread to a camp housing displaced persons who took refuge in it during the conflict in the region, which began in 2003, and 50 thousand people have been displaced from their homes as a result of recent violence, according to Save the Children.

And the local authorities in West Darfur imposed a curfew, and forces arrived in the state from Khartoum and other Darfur states to control the situation.

"There have been no clashes since Sunday, but there are incidents of robbery affecting farmers' homes in the Kirdeng camp for the displaced," Douma told "AFP" by phone from El Geneina.

He pointed out that "eight villages near the city of El Geneina were burned and their crops were looted." He added, "We sent forces to secure these villages and they are safe now."

Al-Douma accused "gangs" that came from outside his state of being behind the violence, in addition to "escaping people who crossed the border from Chad."

He added, "The situation calmed down after the forces deployed around El Geneina and Kerding."

Similar clashes took place, the day before yesterday, between the Fallata and Arab Rizeigat tribes in a village in South Darfur state, leaving 55 dead and 37 wounded.

One of the leaders of Fallatah, Ahmed Saleh Idris, told «France Press» by phone: «The situation is currently calm in the village, and there are no clashes, but people are afraid of violence again.

These acts of violence took place two weeks after the joint mission of the United Nations and the African Union for peacekeeping in the region, officially ended its mission on December 31.

These forces will complete their withdrawal from the region within six months.

And it is supposed to withdraw during this period 8000 soldiers and civilians.

Darfurians staged protests over her departure, fearing that this would lead to renewed violence in the region.

The region, which is larger than the size of France, witnessed a conflict that erupted in 2003, resulting in 300,000 people being killed and 2.5 million fleeing their homes, according to the United Nations.

The fighting erupted after groups belonging to African minorities took up arms against the government of the isolated Sudanese President, Omar Al-Bashir, in protest against the political and economic marginalization of the region. Al-Bashir's government armed militias belonging to Arab tribes to support it, and these militias were known as "Janjaweed."

- Wali of West Darfur State accuses gangs from outside his state and "escaping the border from Chad" of being behind the violence.

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