New wave of violence in Sudan’s Blue Nile region, where at least 13 people lost their lives and 24 others were injured as part of clashes between local Birta and Hausa communities between October 13 and 17.
The clashes again occurred over issues related to land disputes, and lasted for about four days in the Dam Town area, where security forces intervened by decreeing restrictions on movement throughout the region (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/17/deadly-intercommunal-clashes-in-southern-sudan).
Violence then erupted again on October 19 in the Wad al-Mahi area, again as a result of disputes between the Hausa and other local groups over control of lands, resulting in the deaths-according to local authorities-of at least 150 people (https://www.agenzianova.com/news/sudan-almeno-150-morti-negli-scontri-intercomunitari-nel-nilo-azzurro/).
The United Nations has commented on the violence with concern, arguing how the achievement of lasting peace is made difficult at this stage as a result of the lack of a fully functional government and of initiatives to act at the root of the problems, dividing farming and pastoralist communities (https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/at-least-150-people-killed-in-tribal-clashes-in-sudan/2716997).
In the capital Khartoum, however, a massive demonstration was organized by political oppositions on the eve of the anniversary of the October 25, 2021 military coup (https://www.africanews.com/2022/10/21/sudanese-rally-ahead-of-military-coups-one-year-anniversary/).
One protester was killed in the demonstrations, raising the death toll since last year to such a 118 (https://www.voanews.com/a/sudan-protester-shot-dead-as-coup-anniversary-looms/6802078.html).
The initiative for the demonstration in the capital-and in other smaller cities around the country-was, as always, led by the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), which, despite the apparent agreement reached with the military authorities to run the transitional government, reiterate the need to continue demonstrating continuously until the complete transfer of power into the hands of a civilian government.
Although a section of the FFC has accepted the compromise of an exit from the current political crisis that includes a role for the military authorities to protect security, not a few fear that the openings manifested by General al-Burhan may conceal future pitfalls for the legitimacy and capacity of the future civilian government (https://sudantribune.com/article265449/).
