KHARTOUM, Sudan, March 30 (UPI) -- A U.N. peacekeeping mission in Darfur said a team was en route to the site of deadly clashes following the relocation of a local market.
The African Union-U.N. Hybrid Operation in Darfur said three people were killed in a North Darfur community in clashes between Sudanese forces and civilians. The mission said plans were made to relocate a local market after consultations concerned communities.
Demonstrators gathered outside a UNAMID compound and tried to force their way into the camp. Three civilians and one U.N. staff member were injured during the melee.
"The authorities of the Kabkabiya area must be more sensitive to the needs of the various communities who deserve to lead productive and secure lives," UNAMID Director Ibrahim Gambari said in a statement.
He denied allegations made by authorities in North Darfur that UNAMID had a role in the deaths of civilians in Kabkabiya.
While separated from border conflicts in the region, the situation is tense amid recent reports of fighting between South Sudanese and Sudanese forces in the region.
The independent Sudan Tribune reports that fighting intensified in South Kordofan state. Arnu Loddi, a spokesman for South Sudan's rebel movement, said his forces killed 21 Sudanese troops in attacks in the area.
