KALMA CAMP – At least six people were killed and others injured in violence inside Kalma displacement camp in South Darfur’s Beliel locality, local sources told Sudan Now, before traditional leaders intervened to contain the tension.

Sources familiar with the incident said local administrations held intensive meetings involving omdas, sheikhs and damalj from Kalma camp and the town of Beliel to address the fallout from the violence and ease tensions between the family of the victim and relatives of the accused man.

The sources said the incident began between two young men linked to loose groups known inside the camp as “groups”, following a dispute over the division of stolen items. They said those involved belonged to the same tribe, without naming it.

According to the sources, relatives of the victim, identified as Abdelhafiz Yaqoub Abdullah, gathered outside the office of the camp’s General Coordination, demanding that the accused be handed over to them.

The camp administration refused, the sources said, prompting the crowd to storm the building and set it on fire.

The sources said traditional leaders are working to contain the crisis between the victim’s family and relatives of the accused, including discussions over the payment of karama, a customary compensation gesture, according to local practice.

They added that traditional leaders directed the General Coordination to return to its office, rebuild the premises and resume its activities.

Camp Administration Says Archive Burned

In a separate statement issued Wednesday, the General Administration of Displaced Persons and Refugee Camps – Kalma Camp Office said the incident began as a criminal case between two young men affiliated with the so-called “groups” after a dispute over stolen items.

The administration said the dispute escalated into a fight in the valley, where one of the men stabbed the other, causing his death. It said the suspect was arrested and detained on Monday evening.

The administration said groups linked to the victim’s family marched on Tuesday morning toward the General Administration office and the Youth Administration office before destroying the premises and burning their contents.

It described the incident as “not an isolated event,” accusing unnamed parties of standing behind what it called a “large and dangerous plan” targeting the security and stability of the camp.

The administration said the burning and destruction of the camp archive, which dates back to 2003, represented a major loss.

It alleged that the act was aimed at “erasing some evidence” related to displaced people’s cases, but did not provide further details or evidence about those it accused of being behind the events.

The administration said calm and stability had returned to the camp and that some activities had begun to resume.

Sudan Now could not independently verify the full circumstances of the violence, the number of injured people or the administration’s allegation that the archive was deliberately targeted to erase evidence.

Calls for Restraint

Social activist Mohieddin Ibrahim called on the camp administration and displaced residents to act with wisdom and responsibility and work to contain the tension.

He warned that internal disputes among the “groups” should not turn into attacks on displaced people’s files or lead to their destruction by fire.

Ibrahim said destroying displaced people’s records does not serve their cause, but threatens their rights and opens the door to chaos and exploitation by parties with agendas.

He urged residents to deny any opportunity to those seeking to deepen divisions inside the camp.

He also rejected killings and attacks on lives and property outside the law, stressing that protecting displaced people, their property and their dignity is a collective responsibility.

Ibrahim called on displaced residents to avoid rumors, provocation and escalation, and to prioritize dialogue, solidarity and the security of the camp.

Background

Kalma is one of Darfur’s largest and most politically sensitive displacement camps, hosting people uprooted by waves of violence since the Darfur conflict began in 2003.

Camp archives and community records are especially important in displacement settings because they may contain information linked to residents, families, land claims, aid registration, incidents of violence and community representation.

The latest violence comes as displacement camps across Darfur face growing insecurity, reduced humanitarian services and worsening pressure from Sudan’s wider war, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).