Heavy clashes between militia and unidentified armed groups shake South Darfur

Eyewitnesses and local residents in the town of Buram, located about 160 kilometres south of Nyala in South Darfur, reported several deaths and injuries, as well as the looting of the town’s main market, following violence that erupted on Tuesday between two armed groups.

A community leader in Buram, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told Darfur24 that the town witnessed three separate killing incidents that escalated tensions before developing into an armed attack on the market, which was extensively looted.

He said the first incident occurred at the transport station last week, followed two days ago by the killing of a herder inside the market. He added that relatives of one of the victims arrived in an attempt to resolve the dispute, but the situation escalated into gunfire before being contained the same day.

He further noted that another individual was later found dead near a trader’s house, prompting his relatives on Tuesday to mobilise armed men, attack the trader’s house and set it on fire, before storming and fully looting the market, with several civilians killed and injured in the process.

Meanwhile, eyewitnesses said armed men attacked shops from the afternoon hours, looting all commercial outlets in the main market in the town centre amid heavy gunfire that left at least 10 people dead and several others injured, some of whom were taken to hospital overnight.

They added that a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) mobilised unit heading from Tulus to Buram was ambushed, resulting in the killing of five soldiers and injuries to others.

Witnesses also reported armed mobilisation from both sides inside the town, with limited intervention from local traditional authorities and RSF forces, which they said were split into two groups, each aligned with one of the parties.