Gold-mine killings 'tied' to government
2013-01-30 21:14
Khartoum - Amnesty International said on Wednesday that
Sudanese security officers were reportedly involved in attacks over gold mining
that killed up to 200 people, in one of the Darfur region's worst recent
outbreaks of violence.
The unrest displaced more than 70 000 people, the UN has
said, citing government figures.
Fighting began on 5 January between members of the Beni
Hussein tribe and another Arab group, the Rezeigat, when a Rezeigat leader who
is an officer in Sudan's Border Guard force, apparently laid claim to a
gold-rich area in Beni Hussein territory, Amnesty said in a statement.
The incident occurred in the Jebel Amir region of North
Darfur state, which has seen a resurgence of violence in recent months.
"Gunmen driving government vehicles are alleged to
have opened fire on people in the mostly Beni Hussein area of Kebkabiya using
grenades and heavy machine guns," Amnesty said, calling for an urgent
government investigation.
The London-based watchdog said it had been told by one
witness that 53 residents of his village were killed on 9 January by gunmen
including border guards whom he named.
"These events come as the government is attempting
to exert greater control over licensing and export of gold, in a context of
fiscal crisis, depleted foreign exchange reserves, and widespread gold
smuggling," Amnesty said.
Darfur officials could not be immediately reached for
comment.
International peacekeepers, citing government figures,
said more than 100 people were killed but humanitarian sources told AFP the
Beni Hussein tribe was reporting a far higher toll.
The sources, declining to be named, said the incident was
the worst example of inter-Arab violence to emerge in the past two years as
government-linked Arab groups got "out of control" and turned on each
other.
One humanitarian source said the Beni Hussein had refused
to pay newly imposed government mining fees adding up to "huge, huge
money".
Amnesty said despite the signing of a government-brokered
truce between the two tribes on 17 January, attacks were reported to have
continued and tensions remained high.
More than one million people are living in camps for the
displaced in Darfur, a decade after rebels began an uprising.
Although violence is down from its peak and
rebel-government clashes continue, banditry, inter-Arab and tribal unrest also
plague the far-west region.
- SAPA
