RSF arrests Rizeigat members after deadly tribal clashes in East Darfur
Seven people died and six were injured after a Rizeigat attack on Um Dirab, an area inhabited by the Habbaniya tribe.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have arrested several members of the Rizeigat tribe suspected of attacking a Habbaniya village in East Darfur State, in an effort to contain renewed intercommunal violence. The clashes followed the discovery of a Rizeigat tribesman's body in a Habbaniya village, after which a group of Rizeigat men attacked Um Dirab last Friday. Seven people were killed and six injured on both sides.
Brigadier General Mohamed Salman, deputy RSF commander in El Daein, told Radio Tamazuj that the violence did not reflect the character of either community and blamed criminal elements seeking looting and theft. He said suspects would be apprehended through tribal chiefs and elders, and urged both communities to be careful and accurate when filing complaints. Several Rizeigat suspects have been arrested, and the RSF is still pursuing Habbaniya suspects.
In September, armed clashes between the two groups caused about 12 killings and injuries before the RSF and local mediators intervened. Gen. Salman commended the traditional administrations of both communities for their work to resolve the crisis since the incident on 2 November.
Why it mattersTraders and families in the border areas where the two communities meet now face the same risk of attack that led to seven deaths, with several suspects already in custody.