Sudan: At least 136 people killed over land conflict in South Kordofan, West Darfur and Abyi area

(29 July 2022) The African Center for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) expresses deep concern over the continued inter-tribal attacks in Sudan that have resulted into several deaths and injuring. In this release, ACJPS documents several incidents of land conflicts in Abyi area, West Darfur and South Kordofan in June 2022 that resulted to at least 136 deaths, several injuries and displacement of 5000 people. The conflicts are often related to border demarcation, gold mining areas, agricultural land, and animal pathways among others.

ACJPS calls on Sudanese authorities to carry out an independent and impartial investigations into the circumstances of the killing and injuring with a view of holding perpetrators to account. Authorities must also to put in place a legislation that addresses land ownership in conflict and mineral rich areas. We also call upon the communities to respect customary land ownership laws.

We further call on the authorities of Sudan and South Sudan to agree and take immediate measures in resolving the land conflicts in Abyi Area.

Land conflict in South Kordofan

On 4 June, a tribal conflict broke out in Gadeer Locality in Alshabaka area between Al-Hawazma, Kenana and Alkwahla tribes over land ownership. The conflict was sparked off when Al-Hawazma tribe attempted to establish a water source in the area they occupy.  This brought up an issue of land ownership as the Kenana tribe consider themselves the real owners of the land. The Kanana tribe regard the Al-Hawazma as “new comers” because they settled in the area in 2011 after they were displaced from their original area in Bet Alkul Bagara in South Kordfan due to the armed conflict between Khartoum and Sudan liberation Movement– North sector in June 2011.

The Alkwahla tribe also reside in the same area with the Kenana tribe because the area is a gold mining hub. The conflict can be traced from way back in 2020 when the tribes attempted to establish a fund to buy weapons. The 4^th June conflict resulted into the killing of 14 people whilst 52 others sustained serious injuries. Those injured were transferred to the military hospital in Alobied, North Kordfan State and Abu Jebaha military hospital. People from Kenana tribe that sustained injuries were evacuated to Kosti military hospital in White Nile State and Abu Jebeha civil hospital. The situation was diffused with the help of the military from Kadogi, South Kordfan that were deployed in the area.

The deceased are:

From Kenana tribe

• Adam Alaraaq
• Ali Adam Osman(m)
• Ismail Abdul Salam Hassan
• Jad Alsayed Mohamed Alfadul(m)

From Hawazm tribe

• Alnoor Mohamed Kuku (m(
• Hassan Alhadi Musa (m)
• Hassan Khalifa Almassah (m)
• Ibrahim Umbarah (m(
• Ismail Abdul Salam Musa (m)
• Musa Mohamed Ali Saeed (m)
• Osman Adam Osman (m)
• Youssef Judah (m)

From Al- Kuahla trible

• Abdul Rahman Elshiekh Alfadil (m)
• Ahmed Mohamed Ali (m)

 Names of people injured

 From Kenana tribe

• Abdul Monim Ibrahim Osman (m)
• Ahmed Amin Ahmed (m)
• Ahmed Mohamed Ali (m)
• Aldai Adam Alfadil (m)
• Ali Musa Alnoor (m)
• Aljile Nasir Juma (m)
• Almoiz Abdullah Berier (m)
• AlShareef Mukhtar Alzaki (m)
• Babkier Alfadil Mansour (m)
• Badawi Mohamed Ali Altoum (m)
• Badie Habib Allah Suleiman (m)
• Bashir Mohamed Hassab Allah (m)
• Hawa Hassan Abdul Allah (f)
• Jah Allah Amin Khamis (m)
• Mansour Mohamed Adam (m)
• Maryam Mustafa Abbas (f)
• Mohamed Hamad Habib Allah (m)
• Mohamed Abdullah Hussein (m)
• Radie Mohamed Hassan (m)
• Sidiq Mohamed Haj Alfadul (m)

 From Al-Hawazam tribe

• Abdul Kareem Mohamed Abdul Kareem(m)
• Abdul Salam Hassan Osman (m)
• Adam Idris Osman Ahmed (m)
• Adam Radie Musa (m)
• Ahmed Humaidan Mohamed (m)
• AL sheikh Abdul Salam Hassan (m)
• Ali Mohamed Adam (m)
• Alnoor Mohamed Kuku
• Anwar Mukhtar Ali (m)
• Babkir Mukhtar Hamouda (m)
• Hamad AL sheikh Alfaid (m)
• Hamad Musa Elteyeb (m)
• Ibrahim Adam Fadul Alsyed (m)
• Ibrahim Mukhtar Habib Allah (m)
• Juma Mahmoud Aldafi Habiba (m)
• Mohamed Abdul Rahim Mahmoud (m)
• Mohamed AL Hassan Hajaan (m)
• Mohamed Ramadan Hajaan Hamid (m)
• Mohamed Saeed AL Hassan (m)
• Yahiya Adam Osman (m)

From Al-kuahla tribe

• Ahmed Badie Yahiya (m)
• Amona AL Hassan Shanan (f)
• Mahmoud Ali Badie (m)
• Mohamed Gadoum Ahmed (m)
• Nuha AL Hassan Shanan (f)

From other tribes

• Abdul Rahman Jabaar Allah Obid (m), Hawara tribe
• Abdul Rahman Saga Ibrahim (m) Resonate tribe
• Abdullah Mohamed Abdullah (m) Al-Slamate tribe
• Ekram Abdel Rahman Alzaki (m) Tgali tribe
• Mohamed Abdullah Alaasha (m) Al-Hawara tribe
• Musa Abdullah Ahmed(m) Al-Bederia tribe
• Radie Mohamed Mohsen(F) Alwlad Hammed tribe

 Conflicts in Kulbus locality, West Darfur

Between 6^th and 9^th June, at least 99 people were killed and 115 others injured, and 25 villages were burned in Kulbus locality in West Darfur as a result of a series of attacks by armed Arab tribal groups led by Mr. Hamdan Bashir (Ageed Alugda), a tribal military leader. Several cases of abortions were also reported as result of the attacks that took place along the way to IDP camps. At least 5000 people of the Gerner Tribe were displaced.

On 6 June 2022, a disagreement between two farmers from Gemer and Arab tribes about the land ownership in Um Harzara village in Kulbus locality resulted into the killing of dozens of people from both tribes. The conflict started after members from Gemer tribe refused to leave the farm which allegedly belong to a man from the Arab tribe. Both sides were armed with automatic guns during the disagreement. The Police intervened and attempted to resolve the disagreement using customary law but unfortunately the situation escalated when Mr. Hamdan Bashir, the Arab tribal war leader arrived with number of armed Arab fighters to Um Hazaza village and started firing live bullets at a number of people gathered at the village well resultantly killing five members of the Gemer tribe and injuring several others. They also proceeded and burnt the village.

On 7 June,  approximately 150 armed Arab men driving in more than 27 Land cruiser vehicles (some RSF were sighted in the convoy), on horses and motorcycle launched an organized attack on Gemer village resulting to the killing of approximately 41 people of Gemer tribe in the villages of Um Hereiz, Um Marahik, Sabla, Hashab, Beideria, Kededa and Malis.

On 8 June, in a separate incident, 15 Gemer members were killed as result of an attack by Arab Armed men in the villages of Weri Weri, Khir Wajid, Um Rikena, Rashid, and Adam whn. All these villages were burnt down.

On 9 June, there was another attack of burning by armed Arabs on Gerner villages resulting to the killing of 13 members of Gerner tribe. The villages burnt during the attack are JagJag, Sarman, and Degili.

ACJPS documented 97 people killed during the series of these attacks and their names are:

• Abdullah Adam Aldoum
• Adam Abdul Rahman Ahmed
• Ahmed Hussein Ahmed
• Adam Hashiem Ishaq
• Ishaq Abakar Ibrahim
• Yahiya Hassan Hussein
• Ibrahim Abdullalah Abakar
• Osman Ibrahim Abakar
• Osman Aldoum Abdullah
• Mohamed Abdullah Sabeel
• Ishaq Yahiya Ahmed
• Ishaq Ibrahim Abakar
• Ahmed Abdul Razeeq Mohamed
• Juma Yagoup
• Issa Ibrahim Dako
• Adam Zakaria Mohamed
• Musa Ismail
• Adam Hashem
• Osmer Abdullah
• Ibrahim Omer Abdullah
• Abdullah Ahmadaie
• Hassan Youssef Abdullah
• Musa Youssef Abdullah
• Gazafee Abakar Abdullah
• Ishaq Abakar Ibrahim
• Osman Abdul Rahman Ahmed
• Ahmed Hassan Aldoum
• Musa Issa Ishaq
• AL Noor Omda Issa
• Suleiman Yahiya Adam
• Ali Ibrahim
• Abdul Malik Yagoup
• Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah
• Mohamed Suleiman
• Yahiya Aseel
• Omer Hroun Ibrahim
• Abdul Aziz Ahmadai
• Amin Adam Rashid
• Ismail Mohamed Rashid
• Ismail Abooh Adam Ishaq
• Abdul haleem Gedam
• Abakar Abdullah Yahiya
• AL sheikh Hassan
• Ahmed Abakar Ibrahim
• Youssef Abdullah Ismail
• Adel Yahiya Hassan
• Abdul Hameed Ahmed Abdullah
• June 8^th 2022
• Jedo Ibrahim Abdul Mula
• Ismail Noor Eldeen
• Khalil Mohamed Khalil
• Ahmed Khalil Adam
• Degil Mohamed Youssef Abakar
• Radwan Eltijani Haroun
• Yahiya Youssef Abakar
• Adam Ismail Adam
• Abdul Rahman Abdullah Abdullah
• Mohamed Abdullah
• Issa Yahiya Abdul Rahim
• Abdul Monim Ismail Adam
• Idris Yahiya
• Musa Isa Ishaq
• Musa Youssef Abdullah
• Yahiya Adam Osman
• Yasser Salah Eldlien
• Aloum Adam Abdullah
• Alnnor Omdaa Isa
• Adoum Abdullah Abdullah Abdullah
• Ishaq Ibrahim Omer
• Ishaq Ibrahim Mohamed
• Salim Adam Mustafa
• Abdullah Omer Abdullah
• Ibrahim Mohamed Abdellah
• Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah
• Kamal Adam Abdul Majed
• Osman Abdul Rahman Mohamed
• Doud Mohamed Adam
• Abdullah Mohamed Mohamadiien
• Izz Eldien Adam Abdalkareem
• Yahiya Mohamed Ahmed
• Adoum Musa Sharaf Eldien
• Gazafi Abakar Abdulla
• Mohamed Hassan
• Omer Ibrahim Eldom
• Alsadiq Ahmed Aldoum
• Ibrahim Aldoum Hussein
• Abdullah Suleiman
• Mamoun Mohamed Abdullah
• Isa Adam Abdlkaeem
• Ishaq Mohamed Osman
• Mohamed Adam Hussein
• Adam Zakaryia Mohamed
• Isa Ibrahim
• Isa Ismail

Conflict in Abyi Area

On 25 June, at around 01:00am, seven members of Dinka Twig tribe in Warrap State in South Sudan launched an attack targeting Mading Achuing village in Abyi area and resultantly killed six people. The attack was a result of the tension between Dinka Twig and Dinka Noge tribes since February 2022 over land ownership in the Anat area in Abyi locality, an area claimed by Dinka Twig tribe.

The deceased are:

1. Kuach Thoc (m) 48
2. Kuor Arob (m) 33
3. Ding Malual (m) 27
4. Deng Mayour Wil (m) 31
5. Deng Chuin (m)14
6. Kon Adoc (m), 5

Background

Inter-tribal land disputes in Sudan have taken place mainly in conflict areas where people were forced to leave their homes and settle somewhere else. The discovery of minerals in the recent years in some states have also triggered these conflicts. The withdrawal of United Nations-African Union hybrid peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) in December 2020 worsened the situation as it left a security vaccume. The Government of Sudan, which took on the responsibility of providing security in region, has since failed to protect citizens from these attacks. The only effort by Sudanese government has been the deployment of about 12,000 joint troops (6000 from the Sudanese revolutionary front) in fulfillment of the Juba Peace agreement in Darfur region. These attacks and ongoing insecurity across Sudan exemplify the loss of control by the government of Sudan of armed militias and the lack of rule of law.

For further information, contact Mossaad Mohamed Ali at mossaad.ali@acjps.org