Darfur Peace and Development

July 11, 2010 (KHARTOUM) —Over two hundred people were killed in Darfur in June as a result of armed conflict and criminality according to a report by the joint African Union / United Nations (UNAMID) peacekeeping force in Darfur.

Of the 221 deaths, nearly 140 were due to inter-tribal fighting between the Rizeigat and Misseriya tribes.

No fighting was reported after the two tribes signed a peace accord on 28 June.

UNAMID describe the security situation in Darfur on Sunday as, ‘relatively calm but unpredictable’.

Since fighting broke out in 2003 between the Government of Sudan its allied militia known as the Janjaweed and rebel groups, the UN estimate that 300,000 people have died and 2.5 million people have been forced to leave their homes.

The joint peacekeeping operation, who took over from the African Union mission force in July 2007 has nearly 20,000 military personnel and over 6,000 police.

(ST)