Sudan: Tribal clashes on El Geneina leave dozens dead in West Dafur

Ongoing tribal clashes in Sudan’s restive Darfur have killed at least 48 people and wounded nearly 100 people in the latest bout of violence to hit the region, state media reported.

The bloody events which are still ongoing since Saturday morning have also left at least 97 wounded.

According to the Dafur Bar Association, the attack came just weeks after UN peace-keepers began withdrawing from the region, where violence is increasing, and was triggered when a member of the Masalit tribe stabbed a member of an Arab tribe.

“Armed militias took advantage of the incident and attacked El Geneina from all sides, as well as the nearby Kreinding camp for internally displaced people” the association said.

The association also accused the militias of looting and human rights abuses.

Darfur remains scarred by war after a rebellion in the early 2000s was brutally suppressed. The most recent violence comes two weeks after the UN Security Council ended the joint UN -African Union peacekeeping force’s mandate in the region.

Governor Mohammed Abdalla al-Douma said that the government imposed a curfew and granted security forces and soldiers a mandate to use force to control the situation.

West Darfur was the scene of deadly clashes over a year ago between Arabs and non-Arabs that killed at least 54 people and displaced about 40,000 people, with thousands crossing to neighboring Chad.

The clashes pose a significant challenge to efforts by Sudan’s transitional government to end decades-long rebellions in some areas.