CAIRO (AP) — Tribal clashes that erupted this month in Sudan’s southeastern Blue Nile province have displaced thousands so far, the state-run news agency reported on Thursday.
According to the SUNA news agency, a total of 21,189 people fled to the north, seeking safety in the neighboring province of Sennar. Among those displaced were 295 pregnant women, the report said.
The fighting broke out first in the town of Roseires on Sept. 1. It has killed at least 23 people, including two children, Save the Children said last Sunday. More than 40 people, including 10 children, have been wounded, the London-based charity also said.
In July, the same province saw heavy fighting between the Hausa and Birta ethnic groups that left 105 people dead, hundreds wounded and thousands displaced.
Sudan, home to several long-running ethnic conflicts, has been plunged into chaos since a military coup last year. The takeover upended the country’s short-lived transition to democracy after a popular uprising forced the removal of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.
On Tuesday, the United Nations voiced concern over the renewal of violence in the Blue Nile, urging Sudanese authorities to ensure accountability and the protection of civilians and to create “a conducive environment for the safe voluntary return” of the displaced.
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