170 killed in ethnic conflict in Sudan
At least 170 people have died in clashes between two small ethnic groups in the southern state of Blue Nile in the North African country of Sudan. He was killed over a land dispute. Incidents of clashes and bloodshed have increased in the state recently. People from all walks of life took to the streets of the state capital Damajin on Thursday (October 20) to protest against those killed in the clashes. News Al Jazeera.
The conflict started last week. The Hausa ethnic minority clashed with another ethnic group over a land dispute. The main focus of the conflict is in the Wad al-Mahi area near Rosaires, 500 kilometers south of the capital Khartoum. Many people have been displaced due to the use of guns and fire in the clashes.
Head of Sudan's Wad Al-Mahi Hospital, Abbas Musa, said that a total of 150 people, including women, children and the elderly, were killed last Wednesday (October 19) and Thursday (October 20) in clashes due to land disputes. Apart from this, around 86 people were injured in this violence.
Hundreds of people took to the streets of Damazin on Thursday and demanded the resignation of the regional governor. They also stated that they do not want violence.
Eddie Roe, head of the UN aid program in Sudan, said he was 'deeply concerned'. He said that 170 people have been killed and 327 injured since the start of the conflict on October 13.
However, in recent months, Blue Nile province has been regularly rocked by ethnic violence. In early October, 149 people were killed in clashes between ethnic minorities that started last July. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 13 more people were killed in renewed clashes last week.
Blue Nile states are home to dozens of ethnic minorities. Ethnic conflicts often arise between them. The United Nations organization says that 1,200 people have been displaced from that area recently.
A Sudanese grassroots pro-democracy group has blamed the country's military rulers for the lack of security in Blue Nile state. They have also accused of not providing protection to these marginalized groups.
