ConflictBarometer_2016

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
such as cattle, arable land, water rights and access to gold
mines, between various predominantly Arab pastoral tribes
and subtribes de-escalated to a limited war. In the context
of a more effective involvement of local administration as
well as the establishment of buffer zones, inter-communal violence
caused less fatalities as compared to previous years.
Throughout the year, inter- and intra-tribal fighting took place
involving members of Ma'aliya, Rizeigat, its sections, Zaghawa
and Awlad Zaid, Beni Halba, Massalit, Misseriya, its
sections, al-Ziyoud and Awlad Umran, Salamat, Fellata, Habaniya,
Awlad Rashid, El Borno, Awlad Sibeh, El Jamaniya, and
Awlad Saror. As in previous years, most incidents of intercommunal
violence took place in Darfur, fewer in Kordofan,
both regions where armed groups were fighting the government
[→Sudan (Darfur); Sudan (SPLM/A-North / South Kordofan,
Blue Nile)]. Reportedly fighting increasingly erupted
over gold mines in the Jebel Amer region, North Darfur, where
tribal groups competed for extraction rights with government
representatives as well as foreign nationals.
After clashes between Ma'aliya and Rizeigat tribes had caused
many victims in 2015, clashes once more erupted over livestock
theft in Yassin locality, East Darfur State, on April 17,
leaving 20 dead, 15 injured and two vehicles destroyed.
When the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) attempted to arrest
involved Rizeigat on May 9, other Rizeigat attacked soldiers,
wounding three. On June 6, Rizeigat and Ma'aliya representatives
signed a reconciliation accord in Bielel locality, South
Darfur State, agreeing on financial compensation for fatalities
of the April 17 clashes. The same day, the state government
formed a commission to resolve further frictions between local
herders and farmers. Since fighting continued on August
24 in West Kordofan, and on October 14 and 15 in East Darfur,
leaving seven dead in total, two further peace deals were
mediated, with the last being signed on October 19 in East
Darfur. The deal was supported by the The African Union/UN
Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID).
Attacks frequently occurred in the context of cattle rustling
and competition over grazing-lands and often involved blood
vengeance. For instance, when camel herders destroyed
three villages on June 22 in an attack on a farmer community
in Um Tajok, Kereinik locality, West Darfur, 23 people died
and twelve were injured. The next day, government forces
intervened and one soldier was reportedly killed in crossfire.
Violence concentrated in North Darfur this year. During a
cattle raid in Ba'ashion on August 14, for instance, Arab militias
attacked Zaghawa herders, killing three, injuring two and
abducting five. After gunmen had killed three people and
stolen 1,000 cows from farmers in Tawila locality, North Darfur,
on August 24, about 900 herders riding camels, horses,
and motorcycles gathered in the area. In the following days,
the herders killed one farmer, abducted another, and gangraped
two, while their livestock destroyed at least 150 acres
of farmland. On November 21, herders killed three people
in three different attacks in Baronga, Kass, and Nyala, North
Darfur, when local farmers tried to hinder herders from entering
their farms with cattle. The continuing violence in North
Darfur resulted in approx. 400 damaged farms and caused
many residents to flee. As a consequence of the clashes, large
areas of farmland and also crops were destroyed.
In retaliation for the killing of one of their own, a group of Beni
Halba raided the Massalit villages of Mouli and Mouli Kodomi,
West Darfur on January 9, killing 13, and injuring 27, while
approx. 7,000 people were internally displaced. On February
14, 25 people died in revenge attacks between Fellata und
Salamat members in Al-Nadhef area, South Darfur, following
mutual accusations of cattle theft. On March 3, SAF, supported
by police, forcefully disarmed members of the Salamat
and Fellata in Tullus and Buram localities, South Darfur.
Subsequently, 84 members of both tribes were detained. On
May 16, Fellata and Salamat members held a conference discussing
the violations of the September 2015 peace agreement,
signing a renewed reconciliation agreement committed
to disarmament as well as financial compensation for those
killed. On May 27, state governors, native administrations,
nomadic leaders and civil society organizations participated
in a peace conference in Nyala, South Darfur, with the aim of
finding a solution to all tribal conflicts among Darfuri communities.
After Fellata and Massalit leaders had signed a peace agreement
on July 20, fighting broke out again on August 22 and
27 in Towiel and Nabbagay, South Darfur. Members of Fellata,
aided by Rizeigat, attacked Massalit farmers, killing nine
Massalit and two police personnel. Ten people were killed
in fights over cattle-rustling between Fellata and Salamat on
October 9 and November 5 in Buram locality, South Darfur.
When members of the Habaniya, supported by Fellata, and
Salamat clashed on November 11 in Buram locality, South
Darfur, six Habaniya and four Salamat were killed. The violence
was triggered by reprisal attacks and robberies from
both sides. On October 30 and 31, tribesmen of the Zaghawa
and Awlad Zaid, Rizeigat subclans, clashed in Mara area, West
Darfur, leaving 16 people dead. As a consequence, troops
from the joint Sudanese-Chadian border force were deployed,
and, on November 17, leaders of both tribes, supported by
the local authorities from Chad, agreed on a reconciliation
accord. Irrespective of this accord, intertribal violence flared
up again in Birak, Chad, when Awlad Zaid tribesmen attacked
Zaghawa tribesmen on November 25, killing four.
Tension rose between the Rizeigat and the Massalit, with
clashes throughout November leaving twelve Massalit and 27
Rizeigat dead in South Darfur. Both parties agreed on holding
a reconciliation conference on December 10 in Bielel. In Rihaid
Al-Birdi, South Darfur, members of Awlad Rashid, a clan
of Ta'aisha tribe, led cattle onto farmland of El Borno tribe
on December 23. In a subsequent clash between the tribes,
16 were killed and 27 injured. In West Kordofan, intra-tribal
clashes between the Awlad Sibeh and El Jamaniya clans of
the Hamer tribe flared up on May 17, leaving 38 dead and
many more injured. The violence erupted after eight members
from both clans had been killed in disputes over cattle
the previous week. On February 15, the leaders of the Misseriya
subgroups al-Ziyoud and Awlad Umran signed a final
reconciliation accord in Ed Daein, East Darfur, in response to
heavy clashes over land in 2014. In the Lagawa locality, West
Kordofan, two groups of armed Misseriya clashed on July 13,
leaving four dead. svb; jow
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