At least 39 people were reported killed and over 70 others including women and children wounded in fresh clashes between the Ma’alia and Rizeigat Arab tribes in Abu Karinka area in Sudan's East Darfur state.

Ma’alia tribal leader Al Sida Ahmed accused members of Rizeigat tribe of assaulting them yesterday at Abu Karinka area using heavy machine guns.

Al Sida told Radio Tamazuj that clashes resulted in the killing of 39 people from the Ma’alia tribe side and nearly 70 others wounded, besides the torching of several citizen’s houses.

He said the Rizeigat tribe used guns and vehicles belonging to the Border Guard Units and the Rapid Support Forces, a militia supported by the Khartoum government.

Al Sida pointed out that the government forces didn’t intervene in the fight despite their presence in the area.

The tribal leader confirmed that the clashes had stopped, but predicted the fighting could resume at any time.

For his part, the deputy nasir of the Rizeigat tribe Musa Mahmud Madibo, speaking from Ad Daien town, said he also heard about the clashes between the two tribes in Abu Karinka area. However, the Rizeigat tribal leader said he didn’t have more details about the clashes.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) expressed serious concern over the recent escalation of tensions between the Rezeigat and the Ma’alia tribes in East Darfur.

The mission encouraged leaders and members of both tribes to exercise maximum restraint and engage in meaningful dialogue to resolve their dispute and refrain from all acts that would lead to violence and displacement.

The UNAMID also welcomed the deployment of additional troops by the government to create a buffer zone between the two tribes, as well as its ongoing efforts to de-escalate the tension.

“UNAMID calls on the government to further intensify its efforts to avoid potential eruption of conflict,” reads the statement.

The Mission said it will continue to protect affected civilians and facilitate and support all efforts by the government, native administration, leaders of the two tribes and other stakeholders to de-escalate the tensions and achieve reconciliation between Ma’alia and Rezeigat in accordance with its mandate.