SUMMARY

Beni Halba Baggara and Gimir are two Arab communities inhabiting South Darfur. Both communities primarily herd cattle. Although the communities occasionally are involved in disputes over land these are usually solved in a rather peaceful manner. In 2013, however, the two communities fought each other fiercely. The fighting between Beni Halba Baggara and Gimir concerned land, with each side claims ownership. The disputed land is important both for pastoral and for producing of gum arabic. The Gimir accused the Beni Halba Baggara of trying to oust them from areas they had lived on for more than 300 years. In addition, representatives for the Gimir community accused the government of supporting the Beni Halba Baggara, which is the community that Sudan’s Second Vice President- al-Haj Adam Youssef, originates from. The fighting started in early March and the two communities clashed several times until late June.

The non-state conflict between Beni Halba Baggara and Gimir was first included in UCDP data in 2013. In early May of that year, clashes between the two groups had resulted in more than 25 battle-related deaths.