Four people killed in clashes in Ad-Dabbah

Four people were killed, whilst several others were wounded in violent armed clashes between the Kababish and Hawawir tribes in the city of Ad-Dabbah, Northern state. The clashes erupted on Thursday afternoon, light and medium weapons were used, inciting a state of panic and anxiety amongst the residents.

The Security Committee of Ad-Dabbah locality explained in a statement issued Friday that the events began with “an ordinary problem that developed into a clash between youths from the two tribes, causing some security lapses.” The Committee confirmed that Regular Forces, including the Sudanese Army, Police Force, and Intelligence Service, quickly intervened to separate the two groups and imposed a tight security cordon on all entrances and main streets of the city.

Conflicting Accounts

On the other hand, the official spokesperson for the de facto authorities in Port Sudan indicated that the armed clashes were due to tribal disputes, stressing that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) succeeded in containing the situation and restoring calm. Local authorities denied any connection between the conflict and the ongoing war in other parts across Sudan, asserting that the state is safe and stable.

However, the Kababish National Union issued a statement on Friday, reporting the deaths of three members of the tribe serving in the Sudanese Army. The Union attributed the clashes to a conflict with a “fuel smuggling gang” whose members are said to be from the Hawawir tribe. This account contradicts previous reports that attributed the clashes to the kidnapping of a young Hawawir youth by Kababish members.

A third account suggests that the clashes occurred between tribal groups and a force from the Armed Movements known as the “Joint Force,” seeking to create a state of security tension in an effort to achieve their demands in regards to the cabinet formation that Port Sudan intends to announce.