More Than 100 Killed in Sudan's Darfur Clashes

Clashes in Sudan's Darfur between Arab and non-Arab groups killed 117 people over the recent months, media outlets reported on Monday.

Officials revealed that the latest fighting broke out last week between the Arab Rizeigat and non-Arab Gimir tribes in the district of Kolbus, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) from El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state.

The clash was over a land dispute between two people, one from the Rizeigat and another from the Gimir, before morphing into broader violence involving other members from both tribes.

"The fighting has so far killed 117 people and left 17 villages burnt," including three on Monday, Ibrahim Hashem, a leader in the ethnic African Gimir tribe, told AFP by phone.

Hashem pointed out that the deaths counted so far were largely among the Gimir tribe. He added that "many people" from his tribe have gone missing since the violence broke out and which was continuing.

Nevertheless, it was not immediately clear how many were killed among the Arab tribe.

The United Nations (UN) has estimated that 125,000 people were displaced in that unrest. A month earlier, fighting in South Darfur between the ethnic Fallata and the Arab Rizeigat tribes killed at least 45 people.

On Monday, UN special representative Volker Perthes said he was "appalled" by the violence in Kolbus.

"The cycle of violence in Darfur is unacceptable & highlights root causes that must be addressed," he said on Twitter, calling on the fighting sides to "de-escalate".