Nyala, June 08 (Darfur24)
Five people were killed and several others injured after a dispute between young men over a woman escalated into a deadly confrontation in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State, eyewitnesses said on Monday.
Witnesses told Darfur24 that the incident began on Saturday with a verbal altercation between two young men inside a café at the livestock market north of the city. The argument reportedly stemmed from a dispute involving a girl and quickly escalated, prompting the two men to leave the café and head toward the nearby Al-Qasharat area.
According to witnesses, one of the men stabbed the other multiple times with a knife, killing him on the spot. Shortly afterward, relatives of the victim arrived at the scene and opened fire on the alleged attacker and another individual accompanying him, killing both instantly.
Witnesses said the incident unfolded near a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) position in Al-Qasharat. Following the exchange of gunfire, several RSF soldiers emerged from the nearby headquarters.
One witness said an RSF soldier ordered those involved in the fighting to remove the bodies from the area, but they refused. When the soldier repeated the request, one of the armed men reportedly insulted him, prompting the soldier to open fire and kill two more individuals.
Witnesses added that an RSF force stationed in the livestock market later arrived at the scene and arrested members of the armed group involved in the clash, as well as the soldier accused of the shooting. The soldier was reportedly disarmed and transferred to an RSF detention facility pending investigation.
The incident highlights continuing security challenges in Nyala, which has witnessed a rise in killings, violent crimes and looting despite ongoing security operations by RSF military police and the deployment of checkpoints across markets and major entry points to the city.