KHARTOUM: More than 500 members of an Arab tribe in western Sudan's Darfur region have been killed and almost 900 wounded in seven weeks of clashes, an MP representing the troubled district said on Monday.

The toll is far higher than figures previously given for the fighting between the Rezeigat tribe and rival Arabs from the Beni Hussein group in the Jebel Amir gold mining area of North Darfur.

"The number of martyrs from January 6 until February 23 is 510, including women and children. Another 865 were wounded," said Adam Shiekha, a Bene Hussein member who said all of the casualties to belonged to his tribe.

Sheikha is the federal parliamentary representative for El Sireaf district where the violence has been concentrated.

It is unclear how many Rezeigat were killed.