Ed Damazin — Sudanese Authorities said at least seven people have been killed and 23 others injured after tribal renewed clashes in Blue Nile state on Thursday, barely a month after similar violence across the state left more than 100 dead.

According to a Reuters summary of a statement distributed by Blue Nile state's security committee, the latest episode of violence remains under investigation and neither the tribes involved nor the exact location of the incident were stated. The statement also announced the imposition of a curfew in the cities of Ed Damazin and Roseiris from 8 pm to 5 am, and prohibited public gatherings.

According to an activist interviewed by Sudan Tribune, the violence began when three vehicle loads of people from the Hausa ethnic group tried to occupy several public buildings and retake abandoned homes near the site of July's deadly clashes. Some five people were seriously injured and transferred to the military hospital in Ad Damazin, Sudan Tribune reported.

Echos of July's violence

In July, inter-communal violence between opposing Hausa and Berta ethnic groups left more than 100 dead across Blue Nile state. Berta leaders accused the Hausa of sparking the conflict by trying to lay claim to their agricultural and ancestral land. However, Hausa members say the violence broke out after a Berta leader refused their demand to open a 'civil authority to supervise access to land.'

The Hausa community migrated to Sudan centuries ago from West Africa. They have often been alienated and persecuted in modern Sudanese society.

Eyewitnesses told Radio Dabanga that the recent episode of violence has led to the displacement of a large number of people, many of whom have now fled to Ed Damazin. Thousands had previously fled to Ed Damazin in the aftermath of July's deadly clashes.

Those currently displaced have appealed to authorities to forcefully impose the prestige of the state and to preserve the signed agreement to stop tribal hostilities and conflict.