UN Condemns Deadly Clashes in Darfur

Clashes between Arab nomads and local farmers in Sudan’s West Darfur state that killed more than 200 people over the weekend spread Monday to the state’s capital, Al Geneina, with the United Nations condemning the surge in violence. The mayhem that began Friday followed the discovery April 21 of two nomads’ bodies near Hashaba village, outside of the town of Kreinik. According to a preliminary report, 201 bodies have been identified in roads and other public places, but the death toll is likely to climb, said Assadiq Mohammed, head of West Darfur’s humanitarian department. The Displacement Tracking Matrix in Sudan, produced by the U.N. International Organization for Migration, estimates that 7,500 to 12,500 households around Kreinik sought refuge in a local military compound over the weekend. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the fighting, which represents one of Sudan’s deadliest episodes in recent years. A statement released Monday said he deplored “the killings of civilians in Kreinik locality as well as the attacks on health facilities,” and called for “an immediate end to the violence.” The U.N. Security Council ended its Sudan peacekeeping mission in 2020.

SOURCE: VOA