El Fasher, April 13(Darfur 24)
The situation in North Darfur state developed dangerously, as affiliates of Darfur armed struggle movements allied with the army clashed with the Rapid Support Forces RSF in the villages adjacent to El Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur state.
The clashes came after attacks carried out by the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias on rural areas west of El Fasher during the past two days, before they developed into intervention of the movements’ joint force in the fighting.
The joint force consists of the Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Minni Arko Minawi, the Justice and Equality Movement, led by Jibril Ibrahim, and factions that split from the Sudan Liberation Movement, headed by Al-Hadi Idris, and the Sudan Liberation Forces, led by Al-Tahir Hajar.
Community leader in Sarfaya area, Badr al-Din Muhammad Yahya, told Darfur 24, “An attack was launched by armed men, on Friday afternoon, on camels and cars at the same time on the villages of Sarfaya, Amshoshu, Jakhi Muqrin, Majdoub, Hilla Khamis, Heglig, and Baraka.”
He pointed out that this attack left people dead and wounded and caused the displacement of more than 4,000 people from these villages to the Golo and Shaqra area, 20 km west of El Fasher, and thousands also fled towards the city of El Fasher.
Badr al-Din revealed that the reasons for the conflict are related to the Arab tribes accusing the joint force of the armed movements of stealing livestock and bringing them into the Sarfaya areas at the beginning of this April.
Fears are growing about the expansion of attacks on the villages of El Fasher, in light of the growth of hate speech, the criminalization of others, the strengthening of armed movements, and the rapid support for their forces in the region.