Thousands displaced by tribal violence in Sudan: UN

By Adel Abdel-Rahim

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AA) - More than 16,000 people have been displaced by tribal violence in western Sudan, according to the United Nations on Tuesday.

The violence first started on Wednesday when herders attacked a group of farmers in Amuri village, east of South Darfur.

"Several villages were burned in Beilil locality in South Darfur state, and about 16,200 people were displaced to Dreij, Kalma, Beilil and Duma camps," the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan said in a statement.

OCHA warned that the displaced people are in dire need of humanitarian aid.

At least 12 people have been killed and dozens injured in the violence, according to the General Coordination for Refugees and Displaced in Darfur.

Local authorities have declared a state of emergency over the violence and imposed a night-time curfew.

Several areas in Darfur witness sporadic deadly clashes between Arab and African tribes as part of conflicts over land, resources, and grazing paths.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara