ConflictBarometer_2016

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
a large-scale military offensive in the Jebel Marra region with
the goal of clearing the area of SLM-AW holdouts. The Sudanese
Air Force supported the ground offensive through
daily air raids in the area. By the end of January, 44,700
people were newly displaced to refugee camps throughout
Darfur, with some entering neighboring Chad. Government
and military officials frequently called the military campaign
a success and guaranteed the safety for all IDPs to return
home, while denying systematic attacks on civilians in the
affected areas.
Throughout the first half of the year, heavy fighting reportedly
took place on an almost daily basis, with both sides offering
conflicting statements on the number of casualties. Due to
the government preventing UNAMID and aid organizations
from entering conflict-affected regions, including this year's
hot spot of Jebel Marra region, battle reports were difficult
to verify. From February 15 to 17, heavy fighting occurred in
the area of Kutum, Central Darfur, with the SLM-AW claiming
to have killed 47 government troops and wounded 19 others.
On March 9, the SLM-AW supposedly killed 47 military troops
in an attack on a military convoy of heavily armored vehicles
accompanied by paramilitary tribal fighters, allegedly
belonging to RSF. A week later, on March 16, the SLM-N and
SLM-AW reportedly killed 71 government troops in a battle
southeast of Guldo in Central Darfur. On the same day, the
government reinforced its military presence in Jebel Marra
by sending hundreds of additional military vehicles into the
region. From April 4 to 10, a six-day battle between government
and SLM-AW forces took place south of Golo, Central
Darfur, with government and militia troops reportedly numbering
5,000 men. According to SLM-AW reports, up to 1,000
government troops died, while other media reports spoke of
approx. 100. The government denied all reports of this battle.
A few days later, on April 13, the SLM-AW confirmed statements
by the government that they controlled the Sarong
area in Central Darfur.
As of June, various aid organizations suggested that the escalation
in Darfur since January had caused 150,000 new
IDPs, with the possibility of 30,000 more people hiding out
in caves in the mountains. The IDPs mainly fled Sudanese
Air Force raids, which were flown with Antonov aircrafts and,
as in previous years, reportedly also targeted civilians and
infrastructure. Following the air raids, RSF frequently looted
and burned down villages. In late June, al-Bashir declared a
unilateral ceasefire in Darfur, after having already announced
a four-month ceasefire in Blue Nile and South Kordofan. By
July and August, the Sudanese Air Force reduced the number
of bombardments conducted, with government troops
and allies controlling much of Jebel Marra. Nevertheless, the
SLM-AW occasionally reported military victories. On July 22,
SRF proclaimed to have killed over 100 SAF and RSF troops
during fighting in western Jebel Marra. In asimilar incident
two months later, on September 17 and 18, the SLM-AW supposedly
killed at least 71 government troops, after being
attacked in western Jebel Marra. On September 29, a Human
Rights group released a report on the fighting in Jebel Marra,
stating that the government had used chemical weapons in
at least 30 attacks, killing between 200 and 250 people. Furthermore,
the air raids destroyed at least 171 villages and
much livestock since the beginning of the year. SRF claimed
that up to 1,500 people died in the chemical weapon attacks.
The government denied all allegations.
After months of negotiations, SRF agreed to sign a ceasefire
agreement with the government on October 30 that promised
coordinated peace talks in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan,
areas in which all three rebel groups had been involved in
fighting. The SLM-AW leadership split on the issue of whether
to join the peace talks with the government. On November 6,
a group of SLM-AW defectors led by El Amin El Tahir and Abu
Jamal Bakr signed a peace agreement with the Central Darfur
government in Zalingei.
Similar to past years, the Sudanese government made it difficult
for UNAMID peace-keepers to enter any battle-torn areas
and pushed for UNAMID's departure from Darfur altogether.
However, at the end of June, the UNSC extended the mission's
mandate for one more year. As in previous years, UN-
AMID peacekeepers faced violent attacks. On January 7, for
instance, armed groups ambushed aUNAMID patrol, injuring
one peace-keeper. Later, on January 31, tribal gunmen hijacked
two UNAMID vehicles near El Daein, East Darfur, and
on March 9, gunmen on five Land Cruisers attacked a UN
convoy in North Darfur, killing one and injuring another UN
peacekeeper.
Between April 13 and 15, the citizens of Darfur voted inareferendum
over whether to unify the five existing states into
one state of Darfur. According to the official election results,
97.72 percent voted against unification. However, various
opposition parties, armed groups, and IDPs criticized the referendum
process for causing more division between the Arab
and African population in Darfur [→Sudan (opposition)]. Additionally,
the security situation in Darfur prevented many
people from voting.
Towards the end of the year, tens of thousands of IDPs returned
home to their villages in Jebel Marra. Throughout
the year, the displaced were affected by a severe food and
health crisis in overfilled camps or in caves, especially during
the rainy season starting in June. Armed groups and government
troops alike raped civilians and IDPs.
As in the past, unexploded ordnances, spread out through
Darfur ever since the fighting began in 2003, remained a constant
threat, killing livestock and people on aweekly basis.
loc
92
SUDAN (INTER-COMMUNUAL VIOLENCE)
Intensity: 4 | Change: | Start: 2007
Conflict parties: Habaniya vs. Salamat vs. Fellata vs.
Massalit vs. Beni Halb, Rezeigat, vs.
Ma'aliya; Awlad Raid Rezeigat vs. Zaghawa
Rezeigat et al.
Conflict items: subnational predominance, resources
The conflict over subnational predominance and resources,