Salaamedia Report
For more the two decades, the region, which covers an area of 493,180 square kilometers, has not it witnessed any social quietness or political calmness due to power struggles or ethnic/tribal conflicts. It was only those a few years of calmness that followed the Sudanese Revolt in December 2018; which led to the signing of Juba Agreement for Peace in Sudan. After the outbreak of the nonsensical war of 15th of April, 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces, the Darfur region turned to a state of tension and bloody conflict. Events, in the region, accelerated in a way that negatively affected the social cohesion and fabric of the region as well as its political context.
This report aims at analyzing these tragic events, an identifying their main actors, in addition to that, the report aims at providing a concise analysis of the human casualties’ cost of these tribal conflicts. It is, as well, a genuine attempt to fully understand the polarization processes of these various conflicting parties that negatively contributed to the fueling of these unfortunate conflicts. The report also shed light on the active forces that provide the conflicting parties with military logistic supplies and weapons that increased the intensity and scope of the conflicts. This report is based on data monitored by Insights institution as well as other press institutions, in addition to open sources data monitored by SalaaMedia team.
.For professional purposes related to the sensitivity of conflicts, the report will keep the names of conflicting parties anonymous
Armed Conflict
Insights institution, which monitored the outbreak of 29 tribal conflicts in the five states of Darfur region between April 2033 and July 2024, defines armed conflict as “an armed clash between two parties at a specific time and place. The clashing parties must be armed, and they can be governmental forces or organized armed groups with certain agendas, identities, or political goals that justify the use of weapons to achieve these goals”.
Darfur Armed Conflict Causes
Mohammed Badawi, a researcher at the African Center for Justice and Peace, says, “the causes of conflict in Darfur are attributable to the failure of public policies adopted by the state authorities, namely; economic policies. The lop-sided policies and strategies of the government has led to a state of polarization and conflicts between the components of the main production relations, such as agriculture and grazing”
Some of the causes of armed tribal conflict in Darfur region can be limited to marginalization, lack of development, unfair distribution of resources, land conflict, and ownership of farmlands, the deep-rooted tribal system in the region, the political economy of state, and the state’s interests in specific economic sectors.
Darfur Conflict Background
The roots of the tribal conflicts in Darfur date back to 2003 and have expanded to include a number of tribal groups; and have deepened further to with the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces that began in Khartoum and extended to large parts of the Darfur region; which has produced forms of tribal polarization the two warring parties in all five states of the region.
West Darfur
The social and political situation in West Darfur State is the most complex in the region. Given the history of conflicts that have erupted in the region, we find that the conflict in the state varies between politics and tribes – i.e. the political exploitation of the tribe – which is confirmed by the history of ethnic/tribal conflict in the state. The current war reached the state only nine days after the start of the war in Khartoum, announcing the beginning of confrontations in the region, which was affected by previous wars. Al-Jenena witnessed the most violent conflict in the region, in which multiple parties were involved. According to the series of episodes published by Darfur 24 newspaper, during the nine days – the period of time between the war in Khartoum and Al-Jenena – the town witnessed three separate shooting incidents, which were clearly an attempt to set fire to the town that lies on the powder of tribal strife. Estimates differed regarding the definition of what happened in Al-Jenena, as some consider it an old, renewed ethnic/tribal conflict, while others see it as a complex conflict for which the warring parties and the de facto government bear responsibility. Human rights organizations have accused the Rapid Support Forces and the militias allied with it of committing crimes that amount to war crimes against some components of the state. With the exception of the battle of Al-Jenena on April 55, 2023, the state witnessed even cases of tribal conflict, which resulted in 46 deaths and three injuries; despite the signing of a number of reconciliation initiatives between the components of the state.
South Darfur
South Darfur State has witnessed 16 armed tribal conflict since April 2023 until the time of writing this report; these conflict left at least 558 deaths and 175 wounded, making it the state that witnessed most of the conflicts in the region during the current war period. According to Darfur 24, fighting broke out between two groups in (Kabem) in the (Ed Al-Fursan) and (Abu Jaradil) bordering Chad. The (Umm Marai) and (Wadi Quarqash) areas also witnessed clashes, and the conflicts left about 120 deaths. On November 18, 2023, fighting broke out in the town of Baram, killing about 37 people, and the town market was burned as a result, according to Darfur 24.
In the Kabem locality in South Darfur, a conflict broke out between two groups, where a number of individuals were killed. It is noteworthy that this fighting took other forms that differed greatly from its former ones; because of its connection with the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, as the majority of the members of both groups belong to the Rapid Support Forces. The Darfur 24 website reported that the lethal weapons used were taken by members of the two groups from the ranks of the Rapid Support Forces, while they seized some others from the armed forces during the battles in Khartoum and some towns in Darfur.
East Darfur
.East Darfur State is considered the most stable State compared with other States in the region since the beginning of the war. East Darfur State has not witnessed any tribal conflict during this period
Central Darfur
In contrast, Central Darfur State witnessed two conflicts in which three people were injured with no causalities. The state witnessed the signing of a peace agreement between the warring tribes in Mukjar locality. It is known that the civil reconciliation between the two groups was sponsored by the Rapid Support Forces after months of raging wars; and now the area which is under the control of Rapid Support Forces and the Sudan Liberation Movement and Army, Abdel Wahid Mohamed Nour is witnessing relative stability compared to other Darfur states.
North Darfur, Al-Fashir
From February 2023 to April2024, North Darfur Sate witnessed 4 armed tribal conflicts, which resulted in 45 deaths and 49 wounded; despite the igning of a document by the native administration to ensure peaceful coexistence in the locality of Millet – North Darfur in January 2024; after clashes broke out between citizens and elements of the Joint Force affiliated with the armed movements, which later announced their alignment with the Sudanese Armed Forces to fight alongside with the Armed Forces.
North Darfur witnessed battles that lasted for months between the armed forces and the movements on the one hand and the Rapid Support Forces on the other hand. As a result of this conflict, polarization intensified in the town of Al-Fashir; as tribal groups in the state announce their support for the Rapid Support Forces, while other tribal leaders announced their support for the armed forces.
Mobilization and Polarization
salaaMedia team, in its pursuit of the reasons and actors who fueled the conflict, supported it, or contributed to the polarization process in favor of the two belligerents, and according to the analysis of the data collected, we noticed that since the fighting began on the 15th of April 2023, the warring parties have resorted to gaining the support from their respective tribes and ethnic groups. Tribalism has played a significant role in this unjustifiable and reckless war. The Sudanese Armed Forces have worked since the early days of the ongoing war to polarize and mobilize tribes on their side, as a group of tribes announced on the 4th of May 2023 their full support for the Armed Forces in its war against the Rapid Support Forces. These tribes sent convoys to support the Armed Forces. In the same month, Sudanese Minister of Defense made a call to the Sudanese people, particularly those who are capable of carrying weapons, to fight in the ranks of the Army. The call was, later, confirmed by the Army Commander when he issued a call for general mobilization and polarization. On the other hand, the Armed Movements allied to Sudanese Army, exploited that call by forming what is known as the (Armed Popular Resistance), especially in North Darfur State. SalaaMedia team concluded that this operation was based on tribal support, as the leader of the Awakening Council and tribal leader, Musa Hilal, announced his support and endorsement of the Sudanese Army, as well as some of the civil administrations from West Darfur State. In contrast, the Rapid Support Forces are not the best; when they also followed the same approach as the Sudanese Armed Forces, with tribal leaders from the Darfur region announcing on the 18th of May, 2023, their bias and support for it in the war. This was later confirmed by the positions and statements that came out of a number of tribes announcing their support and standing by the Rapid Support Forces.
We found that the polarization operations by many parties were among the factors that led to the exacerbation of the tribal conflict later, in addition to the spread of weapons among civilians more than ever before. The Darfur 24 website reported that the tribal events that took place in west Darfur State were largely played by the Armed Forces Intelligence. It also indicated in an investigation that the conflict that took place in South Darfur between the tribal groups involved the use of weapons and vehicles belonging to Rapid Support Forces; as some members of the Rapid Support Forces returned to fight in the ranks of their tribes with the military equipment provided to them by the Rapid Support Forces.
Foreign Involvement in Arms Proliferation
In its investigation published on the 25th of July 2024, entitled: New weapons fueling conflict in Sudan, Amnesty International disclosed how newly manufactured foreign weapons were being transferred to Sudan and its environs, of the current arms embargo on Darfur. It reported, “Amnesty International has found that newly manufactured or transferred weapons and ammunition from countries including China, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen are being brought in large quantities Sudan, and then in some cases to Darfur”
The organization analyzed more than 1,900 shipping records from two different trade data providers, and reviewed open- source and digital evidence – including nearly 2,000 photographs and videos – of newly manufactured or imported weapons in Sudan. It said that Russian and Turkish companies, such as Sarsilmaz, Turkey’s leading small arms manufacturer, have reported hundreds of pieces to Sudanese Armed Forces. The same report also revealed that the Rapid Support Forces have used Chinese weapons and armored personnel carriers from the United Arab Emirates. The analysis of the data, and the intensity of tribal and regional polarization by the warring parties, suggests that these weapons may have reach the hands of tribes and been used in tribal conflicts in Darfur.
The report has reached a conclusion that the tribal war in Darfur has claimed more than 650 deaths, 369 wounded, and displaced thousands of families. In addition to that, the ongoing violent conflict between the waring parties has also escalated the intensity of polarization hence increased the war scope between Darfur tribal groups. The ongoing war has, as well, widely contributed to the prolife rating weapons more than before despite the arms embargo imposed on Darfur region, countries such as Turkey, Russia, China, and the Emirates are still supplying the warring parties with in Sudan with weapons. It appears from the analysis of data and reports from international organizations that weapons have been used in the tribal conflicts that occurred in the Darfur region.