KHARTOUM, April 24 (Xinhua) -- 17 civilians were killed on Saturday and 11 others wounded in armed clashes between Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), the military arm of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), and Rizeigat tribe in South Darfur State in western Sudan.

"These confrontations, which took place today, came as a result of provocations by the SPLA, which infuriated members of the Rizeigat tribe at the area and pushed them to confront elements of the SPLA", Mohamed Iyssa Elaio, Chairman of Rizeigat tribe's Shura (consultation) council, told Xinhua.

The SPLA is the military wing of the former rebel SPLM, which became one of the ruling partners in Sudanese government following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005.

"The confrontations resulted in killing of around 17 civilians and injury of 11 others", Elaio added.

He said the incidents took place at Bulbula area, some 200 km south of Matariq town in the South Darfur State.

"This affirms that the SPLA is still present at areas within the borders of 1956 in northern Sudan", he said.

Elaio further said that the administrative leaders of Rizeigat tribe have informed the government more than once of the harassments by the SPLA against citizens of the area.

"The government, however, did not respond, which enraged the local citizens and pushed them to confront the SPLA, despite the fact that the citizens do not have enough weapons to face a fully equipped army," he added.

The SPLA has not yet commented on these incidents.

The South Darfur State is located on the north of the boundaries between northern and southern Sudan, and belongs to the Muslim-dominant northern Sudan.

The CPA, which had ended a two-decade civil war between northern and southern Sudan, stipulated a complete withdrawal of the SPLA from the north to the south behind the boundaries known as "the borders of 1956".

The SPLM says it has implemented that item of the agreement, but the border tribes insist that elements of the SPLM are still present inside the territories in northern Sudan.