UN expresses concerned over reemergence of violence in West Darfur
Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The United Nations on Thursday expressed deep concern over the outbreak of violence that left dozens dead and injured while several hundreds were driven away from their homes in West Darfur region, near the border with Chad.
Volker Perthes, the Representative of the United Nations Secretary General in the Sudan, issued a statement saying the UN was “deeply concerned about the resurgence of violence in Forobaranga locality, West Darfur,”a locality with an estimated 88,000 population, almost half of them in need of humanitarian assistance", according to the UN.
The statement said Perthes expressed his “deepest sympathy to the victims' families, calling for the restoration of calm and urging authorities to work towards bringing perpetrators to justice”.
The UN had earlier reported in its weekly online bulletin that the in-communal conflict that erupted in Foro Baranga town, West Darfur State, had caused the displacement of up to 4,000 families, 50 homes were burned and others looted during the violence, promoting the governor in the region to declare a state of emergency and dawn to dusk curfew for one month.
The government also deployed joint security forces to Foro Baranga, but the UN said despite the Governor of West Darfur State declaring a one-month state of emergency, the situation remained volatile.
The events started on 10 April when inter-communal violence between members of Masalit and Arab tribes erupted in West Darfur’s Foro Baranga town.
The UN field report said members of the Arab tribe reportedly attacked and burned about 50 homes in Alsalam and Alshati neighborhoods in Foro Baranga town leading to the displacement of an estimated 4,000 families (about 20,000 people), according to the International Organization for Migration Displacement Tracking Matrix .
It added that people were displaced into other areas of the town, to Jimmeza village and across the border into Chad.
“At least 10 people were reportedly killed and four were injured, although these numbers have yet to be verified. There are also reports that homes and the local market in Foro Baranga were looted.”
The UN report related that the killing of three members from the two tribes in different neighborhoods in West Darfur between 7-10 April seemed to have triggered the tensions.
Despite authorities deploying joint security forces to Foro Baranga, the violence has reportedly spread to nine neighborhoods where homes have been burned. The situation remains volatile.
-0-PANA MO/RA 13April2023
