![[Sudan] Armed men from the Sudan Liberation Movement Army (SLM/A) in Gereida town, south Darfur, Sudan, 24 February 2006. Despite a May peace deal, the UN says violence and displacement have increased in the region.](https://assets.thenewhumanitarian.org/s3fs-public/styles/responsive_large_2x/public/images/20069187.jpg.webp?itok=WyreUsqz "Cautious optimism over Darfur ceasefire call")
The UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan's western Darfur region has expressed "grave concern" for the lives and safety of tens of thousands of civilians in a Darfur town recently affected by "fierce fighting" between rebels and ex-rebels.
"Continued fighting between the two Darfurian movements could lead to a catastrophic humanitarian situation for the 30,000 residents and displaced civilians there," the joint UN-African Union Mission (UNAMID) said in a statement on 18 January. According to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 46,000 people already displaced by the conflict had come to the town of Muhajiriya, 80km east of Nyala, capital of South Darfur State, in search of safety.
Fighting erupted near the town on 15 January between rebels from the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the only major rebel group to have signed a peace deal with the government, the faction of the Sudan Liberation Army led by Minni Minnawi.
Both groups said they were attacked by the other, though international observers support claims by Minnawi’s forces that JEM entered their territory and refused to leave.
UNAMID said the town had long been under SLA-Minnawi's control, but was captured by JEM. It said reports indicated that Minnawi's forces were planning a counterattack to regain control of the town.
One aid worker said JEM could use Muhajiriya as a base from which to attack government-controlled Nyala. In May 2008, JEM launched an unprecedented attack on the capital Khartoum and has been threatening to attack again. Analysts say a rebel attack following a likely indictment of President Omar al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court – expected in coming weeks – is possible.
Humanitarian impact
In the battle on 15 January, civilians rushed on to the UNAMID base for protection, spokesperson Noureddine Mezni said. The residential compound of an aid agency was burned to the ground, and all non-local staff from two NGOs, Solidarité and Médecins sans Frontières-Holland, were temporarily relocated. Their programmes – food distribution, water and sanitation services, and healthcare, respectively – continue to be run by local staff, though "at low speed with difficulties", one aid worker said.
UNAMID also evacuated six people – two of them critical – to Nyala and continues to care for injured people on its compound. At least 22 people – mostly civilians – were reported to have gunshot wounds. The Sudanese Media Centre, considered close to Sudan's security services, reported that 45 people died in the fighting, 100 families were displaced and 150 houses burned.
The UN did not specify any numbers, but said it was "deeply concerned" about the humanitarian situation and "deplored the loss of life and injury to civilians".
"The hostilities must stop so that aid agencies can get back to the town to continue their life-saving work," acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Kenro Oshidari, said in a statement. He said the town had never seen such levels of violence.
OCHA said it would send an inter-agency humanitarian team to assess the needs of the newly displaced, as soon as UNAMID deemed it safe to do so.
Political fallout
Rodolphe Adada, the AU-UN Joint Special Representative for Darfur, called on all parties to stop the fighting and seek a dialogue.
"UNAMID deplores this alarming military escalation that jeopardises the prospects for successful peace negotiations," the statement said.
Bouts of fighting in Darfur in recent weeks – including aerial bombardment of Muhajiriya by government planes on 14 January – have increased tensions in Sudan in the lead-up to the ICC decision on whether to grant an arrest warrant for Bashir, accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity by the court's chief prosecutor.
Years of low-level fighting in Darfur intensified in 2003 when mostly non-Arab rebels launched a full-scale rebellion against the government, claiming the region was marginalised. In recent years, rebel groups have fragmented, leading to in-fighting and a splintered stance during negotiations.
John Holmes, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, has said that up to 300,000 people have died in the conflict. OCHA estimates close to three million have been forced to flee their homes.
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"Continued fighting between the two Darfurian movements could lead to a catastrophic humanitarian situation for the 30,000 residents and displaced civilians there," the joint UN-African Union Mission (UNAMID) said in a statement on 18 January. According to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 46,000 people already displaced by the conflict had come to the town of Muhajiriya, 80km east of Nyala, capital of South Darfur State, in search of safety.
Fighting erupted near the town on 15 January between rebels from the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the only major rebel group to have signed a peace deal with the government, the faction of the Sudan Liberation Army led by Minni Minnawi.
Both groups said they were attacked by the other, though international observers support claims by Minnawi’s forces that JEM entered their territory and refused to leave.
UNAMID said the town had long been under SLA-Minnawi's control, but was captured by JEM. It said reports indicated that Minnawi's forces were planning a counterattack to regain control of the town.
One aid worker said JEM could use Muhajiriya as a base from which to attack government-controlled Nyala. In May 2008, JEM launched an unprecedented attack on the capital Khartoum and has been threatening to attack again. Analysts say a rebel attack following a likely indictment of President Omar al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court – expected in coming weeks – is possible.
Humanitarian impact
In the battle on 15 January, civilians rushed on to the UNAMID base for protection, spokesperson Noureddine Mezni said. The residential compound of an aid agency was burned to the ground, and all non-local staff from two NGOs, Solidarité and Médecins sans Frontières-Holland, were temporarily relocated. Their programmes – food distribution, water and sanitation services, and healthcare, respectively – continue to be run by local staff, though "at low speed with difficulties", one aid worker said.
UNAMID also evacuated six people – two of them critical – to Nyala and continues to care for injured people on its compound. At least 22 people – mostly civilians – were reported to have gunshot wounds. The Sudanese Media Centre, considered close to Sudan's security services, reported that 45 people died in the fighting, 100 families were displaced and 150 houses burned.
Photo: Heba Aly/IRIN  |
| A UNAMID (joint UN-African Union Mission) peacekeeper stands guard during a patrol through Dali village in North Darfur in this file photo: UNAMID has warned that fighting between two Darfurian movements could lead to a catastrophic humanitarian situation |
"The hostilities must stop so that aid agencies can get back to the town to continue their life-saving work," acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Kenro Oshidari, said in a statement. He said the town had never seen such levels of violence.
OCHA said it would send an inter-agency humanitarian team to assess the needs of the newly displaced, as soon as UNAMID deemed it safe to do so.
Political fallout
Rodolphe Adada, the AU-UN Joint Special Representative for Darfur, called on all parties to stop the fighting and seek a dialogue.
"UNAMID deplores this alarming military escalation that jeopardises the prospects for successful peace negotiations," the statement said.
Bouts of fighting in Darfur in recent weeks – including aerial bombardment of Muhajiriya by government planes on 14 January – have increased tensions in Sudan in the lead-up to the ICC decision on whether to grant an arrest warrant for Bashir, accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity by the court's chief prosecutor.
Years of low-level fighting in Darfur intensified in 2003 when mostly non-Arab rebels launched a full-scale rebellion against the government, claiming the region was marginalised. In recent years, rebel groups have fragmented, leading to in-fighting and a splintered stance during negotiations.
John Holmes, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, has said that up to 300,000 people have died in the conflict. OCHA estimates close to three million have been forced to flee their homes.
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This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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