Sudan
On 9 November 2022, clashes erupted between the Misseriya and Awlad Rashid clan of the Rezeigat tribe near Juguma village in Central Darfur’s Bendasi locality, following an armed robbery. Juguma is approximately 250 km southwest of the state capital, Zalingei town.
The government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) reports that an estimated 15,000 people—mostly women and children—fled Juguma village to Tuktuka village and that at least 48 people have reportedly been killed and 17 injured. These numbers have yet to be verified. The newly displaced people need shelter, food, health and protection assistance. The two groups are reportedly mobilizing their communities for a possible escalation of violence. The situation is tense and unpredictable. Unconfirmed reports indicate that people have also fled to Foro Baranga locality in West Darfur State and into neighbouring Chad.
Local sources report that the market in Juguma has been looted and 16 nomad settlements burned. Government security forces have been deployed to the affected area and more are on their way from South Darfur and Khartoum. However, despite the deployment of security forces, insecurity remains high and there are fears that the fighting could spread to other parts of the state. There have been reports of armed men looting commercial vehicles on the main roads linking Zalingei,
Garsila, Bendasi and Um Dukhun towns. In addition, people are unable to pursue their livelihood activities and about 10,000 farmers will not be able to harvest their crops due to the insecurity. Many farms in Juguma and Tuktuka have reportedly been torched or destroyed by animals.
On 12 November, gunmen attacked mediators tasked by authorities to settle the dispute, killing 24 people. Consequently, on 13 November the Wali (Governor) of Central Darfur State declared a state of emergency for one month and imposed a curfew from 18:00 to 06:00 in Wadi Salih, Mukjar, Bendasi and Um Dukhun localities. Reconciliation efforts are underway in Zalingei to pave the way for peace negotiations.
Due to the insecurity, humanitarians have evacuated staff from Juguma and suspended operations in the villages around Bendasi town affecting the delivery of health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene services to about 30,000 people, of whom 8,000 are internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in Juguma village.
Background
An estimated 117,500 people live in Bendasi locality, of whom about 56,000 need humanitarian assistance, according to the 2022 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO). About 36,000 people (30 per cent of the population) in Bendasi will likely reach “crisis” and above levels of food insecurity between October 2022 and February 2023, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report
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