Sudan war could lead to more ethnic killings in volatile Darfur region
Al Jazeera
Proximity to Chad means violence in North Darfur between the RSF and Sudan’s army could easily spread.
Sudan’s civil war between its army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) could very well trigger a conflict in North Darfur that has impacts beyond Sudan’s borders, according to residents, aid workers and experts.
Clashes between the Sudanese army and the rival RSF are pulling in tribal actors, raising fears of a spiral into mass killings along ethnic lines, said the director of an international nongovernmental organisation (INGO), who requested anonymity to protect their team in North Darfur.
For the past week, the RSF and aligned nomadic (referred to as “Arab”) militias have clashed with the Sudanese army and allied sedentary (referred to as “non-Arab”) tribal armed movements in North Darfur.
Last week, tensions soared after the Joint Force of Armed Struggle Movements – a coalition of “non-Arab” armed groups – dropped their neutrality on April 12 to support the army against the RSF.
A day later, the RSF side burned down several “non-Arab” villages in the east of North Darfur, following disputes between nomads and farming tribes over stolen cattle, according to residents.
