Sudan: Over 150 Killed in Two Days of Violence

Facts

• At least 150 people, including children, have been killed in two days of some of the worst fighting in recent months regarding land disputes in Sudan's southern Blue Nile state.
• The fighting has been centered around the Wad al-Mahi area near Roseires, about 500 km south of the capital, Khartoum. The clashes sparked demonstrations on Thursday in the Blue Nile state capital Damazin, with some calling for the state governor to be fired.
• The fighting in Sudan's contested Blue Nile state broke out last week after reported arguments over land disputes between the Hausa population and rival groups.
• Clashes between the Hausa and other groups began in July, with some 149 dead and 124 wounded documented up through this month, according to UN reporting.
• The UN said that the Jabalaween tribe — who are on the side of a group that rivals the Hausa — expelled the Hausa from an area that has been inaccessible to humanitarian agencies.
• Sudan has been beset by long-running ethnic conflicts, especially in overlooked southern and western regions. The situation has also been complicated by the political situation in Khartoum following a military coup last October.

Sources: Reuters, Voa, France24, and Washington Post.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by All Africa. The current violence in the Sudanese south is a product of seditious acts by rival tribes. The government and military will have to work quickly to disarm these tribal militias. Law and order must be restored in these areas.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Ayin. The conflict in the Blue Nile is a product of government incompetence, political division, and xenophobia. The Sudanese military, which is currently ruling the country, has continually fanned the flames of ethnic conflict in the region for its interests. Khartoum's military-run central government is to blame.