1989 El Jebelein massacre

On the morning of 28 December a farmer from the Arab Sabaha tribe came to El Jebelein from the nearby village of Umm Korta. He demanded eleven Shilluk labourers to assist in the harvest of his sorghum crop.^[3] The Shilluk men refused the work, stating that they were still celebrating Christmas.^[1] A heated argument ensued between the farmer and the workers. During this altercation, the Shilluk workers attacked and killed the farmer. The dead farmer's driver returned to Umm Korta where he reported the incident to his kinsmen. The kinsmen then gathered and descended on El Jebelein in eight trucks, armed with automatic weapons. Meanwhile, the Shilluk involved in the murder had been arrested and detained in a local police station.^[2]

Around 11:00 am local time, the Arab militiamen surrounded the police station which was filled Shilluk villagers who had taken refuge from the fighting. Three police officers guarding the station fled when the militia attacked, after which all Shilluk in the station were killed.^[1] Shilluk were also killed in the surrounding fields of El Jebelein and in the nearby villages of Idreissa and Musran [ceb]. The massacre continued until the next day 29 December, when the Sudanese army and police arrived to El Jebelein and brought the situation under control.^[2][4]

The death toll of the massacre is contested. The Sudanese government first claimed that around 184 people had been killed in the massacre later raising the number of dead to 214.^[1] Western officials in Khartoum claimed that the massacre had killed between 300 and 1,500 thousand people.^[5] Eyewitnesses counted over 500 bodies, including 100 children being recovered from the Nile more than a week after the massacre. In addition to Shilluk, some Dinka, Nuer, and Burun people were killed.^[2]

The government denied any involvement with the massacre stating that it had been "tribal fighting." An official inquiry was launched, but its findings, were never made public.^[6]

The motive for the massacre remains unclear. The Sabaha have no history of tribal conflict with the Shilluk, but it is alleged that the conflict stemmed from the fear of Shilluk laborers were competing with the Sabaha for scarce laboring jobs, and driving down wage levels. The Sabaha were given arms by the Sadiq al-Mahdi government in 1986, which undoubtedly increased the extent of the bloodshed.^[2]