Darfur: Data for Violent Deaths – July

According to the data gathered by UNAMID, there were 144 fatalities due to violence during July 2010. Each of the last few months has followed its own distinctive pattern and July was different again. Usual caveats apply.

The majority of fatalities (112) were due to armed conflict, of which 107 were in North Darfur, principally a major battle between JEM and SAF. Whether this prefigures a resurgent continuing regular armed conflict between government and armed movements, or whether this is (as the government claims) a step in degrading JEM’s military capacity, to the point at which it is no longer a threat, remains to be seen.

Significant has been the near absence of inter-tribal conflict. Only a single fatality was recorded (in West Darfur) for this kind of violence (although, seven ‘tribesmen’ were recorded among the dead overall). Again, it is unclear whether this is merely a lull of a single month or whether government measures to rein in inter-tribal clashes are being successful.

There were 31 incidents of criminal homicide, evenly spread among the three states. Twenty seven civilians were killed during the month, including eleven fatalities among IDPs.

There were no fatalities among UNAMID or international humanitarian workers.