Sudan’s central Darfur declares state of emergency after mediators attacked

A state of emergency has been declared in Sudan’s Central Darfur state after gunmen opened fire on members of a reconciliation committee tasked with settling an inter-communal dispute, killing 24 people.
Central Darfur Governor Saad Adam Babiker on Sunday (13 November) issued an order declaring a state of emergency in all parts of Central Darfur for a period of one month following an emergency meeting of the state security committee. The decision came after gunmen attacked a reconciliation committee sent to mediate a dispute between the rival Wadi Saleh and Bendasi communities. The mediators were reportedly accused of favoring one side, sparking anger from the other side and the ensuing attack in Wed al-Mahi locality killed at least 24 people and left 41 others wounded.
To that end, the state governor stressed the need to preserve the security of the state and the safety of citizens, which would also be achieved by banning all forms of gatherings in the two localities. Last week, the governor of Blue Nile state, Ahmed Al Omda Badi, issued an emergency order also banning all public gatherings, events and unlicensed activities. Badi acted after communal clashes that killed more than 200 people. The order prohibits blocking public roads, encroaching on public and private property, and circulating content that calls for discrimination among citizens on an ethnic basis, among other activities. Inter-communal conflicts have been on the rise in Sudan since the military coup in October 2021. Mediation efforts by the African Union and the United Nations have yet to bear fruit.