Rebels with the SLA in Darfur (Photo: Reuters)
While no new reports of clashes have emerged from Jebel Marra—the site of recent bitter fighting between the Sudanese Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid (SLA-AW) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)—instability has inundated neighboring areas to the south and west, where apparent tribal hostilities have greatly increased the region’s displaced population. Although there has been greater insecurity in Darfur over the past month, coverage of Sudan’s national elections has overshadowed the surge in violence and the resulting silence “is itself a condemnation of the lack of peace in the region.“
Jebel Marra Spillover
Tens of thousands of displaced civilians from Jebel Marra have sought refuge in villages such as Nertiti and Thur as well as in the town of Kass, which is 40 kilometers to the south. The increased number of displaced combined with clashes between Nuwayba and Misseriya have created a very unstable situation in Kass State. On March 22nd, tribal fighting in the villages of Tourggoung, Delibayah and Duwair broke out, leaving 25 dead and dozens injured. Another 23 people were killed on March 24th in Kass state during raids conducted by Nuwayba and Misseriya, increasing regional volatility in an already conflict prone area. According to Radio Dabanga, an aid worker from the Humanitarian Aid Commission estimated that there were 14,000 displaced households and 43,000 individuals in 16 locations throughout Kass state, most of which came in two waves – the first in the beginning of March and the latter within the past week and a half.
The spread of conflict is undeniably evident since violence has not only broken out south of Jebel Marra in Kass state but also directly west in Zalingei state, where UNAMID reported on March 9th that inter-tribal clashes occurred in Khorramla, a village East of the town of Zalingei, displacing over 600 people.
Curiously, on March 31st, Abdel Rahim Mohammed Hussein, the Sudanese Minister of Defence, appointed an investigation committee to determine the role of the SAF behind the Misseriya and Nuwaybaw fighting in Darfur. The outcome of this investigation, if credible, will be quite interesting since in the past rebel and government forces have allegedly waged proxy warfare by supporting opposing groups during tribal clashes.
Renewed Violence in the West
The once hopeful peace talks in Doha between the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Government of Sudan (GoS) have become more strained as promises for peace have been paralleled by a return to violence. JEM accused the SAF of bombing positions in Furawiyah in North Darfur, Abu Gamrah, and Jebel Moon in West Darfur beginning Sunday night and lasting into Monday. According to JEM spokesman Ahmed Hussein Adam, 10 civilians were killed after aerial bombardments using Antonov and MiG warplanes. Hostility in Jebel Moon between JEM and SAF forces is not an isolated occurrence with similar aerial bombardments taking place in January. Additionally, Sudanese Liberation Army-Minni Minnawi (SLA-MM) claimed that they had clashed with JEM on Monday in Abu Gamrah and Furawiyah, two of the villages that were subject to the SAF bombing the day before.
Destabilizing Darfur
While there have been many claims that the crisis in Darfur has been resolved these are yet more examples of how easily conflict can reignite, spread, and redefine itself, often according to the political and military aims of the main belligerent parties as they manipulate civilian communities. The rise in hostilities has caused essential aid organizations to pull out of certain regions within Darfur, such as Jebel Marra in early March. The European Union announced today that it had decided to withdraw its election observers due to increasingly unstable and hostile conditions in the entire region, stating that “in some parts of Darfur the violence is terrible. The humanitarians cannot access this area. And if aid cannot access, we cannot access.” The increase in violence, which has prevented monitors and aid agencies from remaining in Darfur, is yet another clear indication that elections in Sudan cannot be free and fair.
We cannot overlook the sustained violence and must not let events such as the election or the referendum overshadow human rights violations in Darfur. Rather, these national events must be viewed in the context of the continuing crisis in Darfur with the realization that it is impossible for elections to be free and fair in the region while violence between rebel groups and and the government continues. Until a comprehensive peace can be reached between the GoS and rebel groups, conflict will continue to re-emerge and expand, destabilizing the region and threatening both the lives and livelihoods of Darfuri civilians.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Save Darfur Coalition.
Tags: Activism, Darfur, Elections, Government of Sudan, Humanitarian Aid, Jebel Marra, Jebel Moon, JEM, SLA-AW, SLA-MM, Sudan
