Death toll in Sudan’s Darfur tribal clashes reaches 199 – medics

At least 199 people have been killed in Sudan’s restive Darfur in tribal clashes over the past two months, medics said Friday, urging the government to stop the bloodshed.

The clashes, triggered by disputes over land, livestock and access to water and agriculture, have hit several parts of Darfur since early October.

The independent Doctors’ Committee said 199 people have been killed, most of them shot dead.

“There are no concrete steps being taken from any side to stop the violence. The state is absent as well as the justice system and police are nowhere to be found,” it said in a statement.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the violence has displaced more than 83,000 people.

Darfur was ravaged by civil war that erupted in 2003 between ethnic minority rebels, who complained of discrimination, and the Arab-dominated government of then president Omar al-Bashir. 

Khartoum responded by unleashing the Janjaweed militia, blamed for atrocities including murder, rape and the looting and burning of villages.

The violence resulted in one of the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophes.

More than 300,000 people died and 2.5 million were displaced during the conflict, according to the United Nations. 

Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide in Darfur, was ousted and jailed in April 2019 after mass protests against his three-decade rule. 

A peace deal struck with key rebel groups last year saw the main conflict in Darfur subside, but the arid region has remained awash with weapons.

A UN peacekeeping mission ended its mandate in Darfur last year.