UNAMID chief urges South Darfur tribal leaders to settle differences peacefully

19 November 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The head of the African Union United Nation mission in Darfur (UNAMID) called on tribal leader in South Darfur to resolve conflicts through peaceful means and avoid violence .

Mohamed Ibn Chambas made his call in a speech on Tuesday in a two-day conference gathering some 200 tribal leaders from all localities in South Darfur held in Nyala to discuss the root causes of tribal conflicts in the region.

“After 10 year of conflict and much suffering, it must be clear to everyone that there can be no viable military solution to the conflict in Darfur,” Ibn Chmabas said during the opening session of the UNAMID sponsored conference .

“Conflicts erupted between tribes that had coexisted peacefully for hundreds of years. What is even more worrying has been the intensity of these conflicts and the excessively high number of casualties,” he regretted.

The chief of the peacekeeping mission further stressed that tribal clashes have contributed to ongoing insecurity and the worsening humanitarian situation in Darfur.

UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 civilians were forced to flee parts of Darfur region since the beginning of this year because of tribal violence.

Last month the Chadian president Idris Deny organised a two-day meeting for the leaders of Zaghawa tribe and urged them to persuade their sons involved in two rebel groups to lay down arms and join the peace process.

The hybrid mission said this gathering is part of conferences they plan to hold in the five states of Darfur to mobilise civil society and tribal groups to support the peace process in the region.

On 17 November, UNAMID dispatched a delegation to Um Dukhun, in Central Darfur to mediate between the Salamat and Misseriya tribes.

(ST)