Sudan: Foreign militias involved in El Geneina attacks

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Militias from neighboring Chad and Libya have been taking part in the attacks against civilians in El Geneina city over the past few days, the governor of Sudan’s West Darfur state said Thursday.

Mohamed Abdullah Al-Doma did not provide further details on the nationalities of the militias, however.

"Militias from Chad and Libya have taken part in these attacks as they allied with their friends in Sudan to create instability and get chances for looting the people," said Al-Doma.

Addressing a press conference in the capital Khartoum, Al-Doma further blamed the central government for failing to protect civilians in the region, calling on the federal government to send military reinforcements to West Darfur.

"We put it clearly that local forces in West Darfur have failed to repulse the attack and the central government has to take the matter seriously and send more forces there, because those militias have sorts of weapons that we can't face," he added.

The death toll from tribal clashes and violence in El Geneina has risen to 132, while more than 150 people have been injured.

Since Sunday, clashes in El Geneina have spread throughout the city, with widespread incidents of robbery and human rights violations.