6 killed, 12 injured in Darfur unrest

2012-08-17 09:38

Khartoum - Six people were killed and 12 injured in fresh unrest in Sudan's troubled western Darfur region, state news agency SUNA said on Thursday.

The six died during three days of clashes between residents of the town of Mellit in North Darfur. The police and army had restored order, it said, without giving more details.

Mainly non-Arab rebels took up arms in Darfur in 2003, complaining the central government in Khartoum had neglected the remote western region.

Violence has since subsided from its peak, but law and order has collapsed in many parts of the vast territory and clashes have continued to erupt between rebels and government forces.

The violence comes two weeks after four people were killed and six injured when gunmen looted several places and clashed with government forces in another part of North Darfur, according to state media.

The government signed a Qatar-brokered peace deal with small Darfur rebel groups a year ago but the main rebel groups have refused to join.

The International Criminal Court has indicted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and issued an arrest warrant for Defence Minister Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein for war crimes in Darfur.

- Reuters