Sudan: Armed men of horseback spark new new wave of displacement in Darfur

A new wave of displacement has swept through Sudan's Darfur region following renewed fighting between government-aligned Janjaweed militias and the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), centred on the Marra Mountains region.

Three villages to the west of El-Fasher, the capital of north Darfur State, were burned to the ground over the weekend by suspected Janjaweed militias.

At least three people were injured and thousands fled their homes as armed men on horseback attacked their villages.

In a recent report, the UNOCHA mentioned that fresh fighting between the government's Rapid Support Forces - made up of Janjaweed fighters - and Abdulwahid Nour's SLA forces saw more than 10,000 people displaced and dozens killed from both sides. 

Since 2003, some non-Arab communities in Darfur have launched an armed uprising against the Khartoum government after years of political and economic marginalisation.

The government has in turn armed Arab communities in Darfur in a bid to suppress the rebellion, which the UN says has resulted in 300,000 people killed and forced 2 million from their homes.

Abdulwahid Nour has refused to sign the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement agreed upon by five rebel groups in Darfur and the Blue Nile regions and the government.

He has demanded the disarmament of pro-government militias and the return of the displaced back to their homes.

Despite the accord, hundreds of civilians are still killed every year and hundreds of thousands displaced