Violent clashes erupted between the Salamat and Beni Halba tribes in South Darfur State, leaving at least 16 people dead and several others injured, most of them women and children.
The fighting is linked to a previous dispute between the two communities in the area, which resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries in August 2023 before the parties reached a tribal reconciliation agreement last December.
Maqdum Adel Ibrahim Sanin, a leader within the traditional administration in South Darfur, said the incidents began on May 23 when an armed group set fire to grazing land surrounding the town of Kabum. The situation escalated further after a herder was killed in the Jarf area following an attack by gunmen suspected of belonging to one of the two sides on Monday.
He explained that tensions intensified on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of three people and injuries to three others from both communities at a water source after armed men attacked herders while they were watering livestock.
Witnesses reported that fighting between the two tribes resumed, leading to the burning of villages, displacement of residents, and casualties on both sides.
They further noted that armed members of both tribes reportedly used vehicles associated with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during the clashes. Both sides were also accused of deliberately burning villages, triggering a large-scale displacement of civilians.
