Beni Halba, Gimr tribes in new violent clashes in South Darfur

26/04/2013 23:55

The tribes of Beni Halba and Gimr that fought violently in February have resumed clashes in South Darfur on Friday leaving several killed and injured in the Haraza village. Both sides accuse of each other of breaching a previously signed peace treaty. Fighting between Beni Halba and Gimr began at Haraza’s district of Zain, located north of the police station. The village itself is situated about 50km northwest of Katayla, which received a large number of displaced fleeing the battles.Sources said fighting was still on-going by the evening. They told Radio Dabanga the Gimr lost seven men, including Hassan Zaqzouq, and Akwei Abdullah, Abdul Rahman Abdullah Abdulrahman. Seven others from the same tribe were injured, they added. Beni Halba tribesmen burned 137 houses in Zain and sources said they had the support of elements of the Central Reserve Forces (Abu Tira), who arrived in 12 Land Cruiser vehicles, on foot and on horsebacks and camels. A government source told Radio Dabanga that authorities sent troops to the area on Friday to contain the battle. Soldiers were deployed from Rahad El Berdi and Nyala, he said. In February, dispute over land ownership between the Beni Halba and Gimr tribes left eight killed (four from each side) and four wounded. Six villages were also were burned as a result of the battles in the area of Edd Al Fursan, that displaced some 750 families. Although the warring tribes signed a ceasefire agreement a few weeks later, a reconciliation conference was postponed twice and eventually delayed “indefinitely”. Members of the two sides blame the state’s government for poorly organizing the conference leading to its “failure”.Tribes’ leaders Abdulrahman Hamdallah, head of the negotiating team of the Gimr and member of the national council, said seven of his fellow tribesmen were killed and 16 were injured in the battles. He also confirmed that several houses were burned and that battles were still on-going by Friday evening. Hamdallah said Beni Halba fighters stormed Haraza at 5:00pm on Friday and assaults lasted for three hours. The tribesmen attacked the village “with great force”, the Gimr source said, adding that the gunmen were coming from the north and east.For his part, Fadel Mukhtar, a Beni Halba elder and member of the national parliament, explained the attack in Haraza came after the Gimr breached 10 items of the ceasefire agreement both parties had previously signed causing his tribe to retaliate. He did not elaborate which agreements were breached, but disclosed that eight of his men were killed and some five others were wounded in the battles. Mukhtar said the situation is “still tense” in the region and he pointed out that a delegation of the civil department would visit Haraza on Saturday to “calm the tempers and souls” of the fighters.Sources said the South Darfur government had issued a decree on Friday afternoon stipulating that the Gimr land in Katayla locality would be allocated to the Beni Halba. Gimr delegations said the government’s resolutions were against the Sudanese constitution and asked them to be withdrawn before they re-joined the negotiation table, sources said.Related: Gimr, Beni Halba reconciliation summit delayed ‘indefinitely’ in South Darfur (8 April 2013)

The tribes of Beni Halba and Gimr that fought violently in February have resumed clashes in South Darfur on Friday leaving several killed and injured in the Haraza village. Both sides accuse of each other of breaching a previously signed peace treaty.

Fighting between Beni Halba and Gimr began at Haraza’s district of Zain, located north of the police station. The village itself is situated about 50km northwest of Katayla, which received a large number of displaced fleeing the battles.

Sources said fighting was still on-going by the evening. They told Radio Dabanga the Gimr lost seven men, including Hassan Zaqzouq, and Akwei Abdullah, Abdul Rahman Abdullah Abdulrahman. Seven others from the same tribe were injured, they added.

Beni Halba tribesmen burned 137 houses in Zain and sources said they had the support of elements of the Central Reserve Forces (Abu Tira), who arrived in 12 Land Cruiser vehicles, on foot and on horsebacks and camels.

A government source told Radio Dabanga that authorities sent troops to the area on Friday to contain the battle. Soldiers were deployed from Rahad El Berdi and Nyala, he said.

In February, dispute over land ownership between the Beni Halba and Gimr tribes left eight killed (four from each side) and four wounded. Six villages were also were burned as a result of the battles in the area of Edd Al Fursan, that displaced some 750 families.

Although the warring tribes signed a ceasefire agreement a few weeks later, a reconciliation conference was postponed twice and eventually delayed “indefinitely”. Members of the two sides blame the state’s government for poorly organizing the conference leading to its “failure”.

Tribes’ leaders

Abdulrahman Hamdallah, head of the negotiating team of the Gimr and member of the national council, said seven of his fellow tribesmen were killed and 16 were injured in the battles. He also confirmed that several houses were burned and that battles were still on-going by Friday evening.

Hamdallah said Beni Halba fighters stormed Haraza at 5:00pm on Friday and assaults lasted for three hours. The tribesmen attacked the village “with great force”, the Gimr source said, adding that the gunmen were coming from the north and east.

For his part, Fadel Mukhtar, a Beni Halba elder and member of the national parliament, explained the attack in Haraza came after the Gimr breached 10 items of the ceasefire agreement both parties had previously signed causing his tribe to retaliate.

He did not elaborate which agreements were breached, but disclosed that eight of his men were killed and some five others were wounded in the battles.

Mukhtar said the situation is “still tense” in the region and he pointed out that a delegation of the civil department would visit Haraza on Saturday to “calm the tempers and souls” of the fighters.

Sources said the South Darfur government had issued a decree on Friday afternoon stipulating that the Gimr land in Katayla locality would be allocated to the Beni Halba.

Gimr delegations said the government’s resolutions were against the Sudanese constitution and asked them to be withdrawn before they re-joined the negotiation table, sources said.

Related: Gimr, Beni Halba reconciliation summit delayed ‘indefinitely’ in South Darfur (8 April 2013)