Eyewitnesses and local sources reported on Saturday that deadly clashes between two clans of the Zaghawa tribe in the town of Karnoi—about 200 kilometers northwest of El Fasher, North Darfur—have left several dead and wounded and resulted in the burning of villages.
Witnesses told Darfur24 that the clashes stemmed from the kidnapping of Shartai Adam Sabi, the chief of Dar Galla, who was abducted from his home in Karnoi in mid-August and taken to an unknown location.
They added that the kidnapping came after he was accused of providing coordinates to drone strikes that targeted a tribal meeting in Tina—a gathering intended to address a long-standing issue of armed robbery that had claimed the lives of several members of the Zaghawa tribe in both Sudan and Chad in 2021.
A Sudanese army officer stationed in the border town of Tina, who requested anonymity, told Darfur24 that joint forces from the army and local security units had arrived in Karnoi to separate the warring factions following the violence.
He said the clashes caused deaths and injuries and led to the burning of the village of Tandobaya, with fighting spreading to nearby areas including Abu Qumra and Abu Lihya.
The source noted that tribal and military delegations have begun coordinating efforts to de-escalate tensions, adding that Tina town is now on high alert to prevent further violence.
According to a local community leader in North Darfur, the number of casualties from both sides has exceeded 30, with the injured taken to Tina’s rural hospital.
He said tribal leaders from the Zaghawa community are holding urgent consultations to reach the area, while the Sudanese army has intervened to separate the combatants.
