The situation in western Sudan is dramatic. At least 213 people have been killed in four days of violence in Darfur, according to that region’s authorities, clashes condemned by the UN, which on Wednesday called for a “swift” and “independent” investigation.
The violence began on Friday in the town of Krink, mostly inhabited by the Massalit tribe, and spread to El-Geneina, the capital of west Darfur, some 80 km away. According to the General Coordination Center for Refugees and Displaced Persons in Darfur, violence erupted when gunmen from Arab tribes attacked Maasalit villages in retaliation for the deaths of two of their members on Thursday. According to the NGO, the violence continued on Wednesday. She described the situation as “very dangerous” and warned of “a humanitarian catastrophe with unimaginable consequences”.
According to Doctors Without Borders, hospitals were attacked
The highest number was recorded on Sunday with “201 dead and 13 wounded,” according to West Darfur Governor Khamis Abkar, who accused government forces of withdrawing from Krink “without justification” as fighting escalated. He also denounced “a crime against humanity.” The NGO Médecins Sans Frontières said hospitals were attacked and several members of the medical staff were killed.
In Geneva on Wednesday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet expressed her dismay while the Security Council met urgently behind closed doors at the request of the Kingdom, the United Kingdom, Albania, France, Ireland, Norway and the United States. However, no text condemning the killings was released at the end of that session. Talks are continuing, an ambassador said on condition of anonymity.
Massalit calls for “international protection”
In addition, dignitaries of the Massalit tribe called on the UN Security Council on Wednesday to place their villages under “international protection”. According to a diplomat in New York, however, there was no “concrete discussion on this point” between the 15 members of the Security Council.
“I call on the Sudanese authorities to immediately conduct a full, impartial and independent investigation into these attacks and to hold those responsible accountable,” Bachelet said. Witnesses accused the Janjawid militia, a proxy force of the Sudanese government, of orchestrating the violence. These militiamen, used by dictator Omar al-Bashir in his long war that began in Darfur in 2003, have joined the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) by the thousands in recent years, led by General Mohammed Hamdane Daglo, the number two in military power since the October coup in Khartoum.