Bashir says measures taken to stop tribal fighting in East Darfur
May 15, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s president Omer Hassan al-Bashir told a meeting of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) that the regular forces have taken the necessary measures to halt tribal fighting in east Darfur.
Dousa explained that the government when it comes to the resolution of tribal conflicts resorts to traditional mechanisms. He added that after the failure of reconciliation conferences between the Ma’alia and Rezeigat the government now has to resort to legal procedures to impose the authority of the state.
Bashir told a meeting of the NCP leadership office that the Sudanese army and police have completed arrangements to separate between the warring tribes in East Darfur state, said a statement released on Friday.
The leadership office meeting chaired by Bashir on Thursday evening, further stressed the need to impose the state’s authority and deter all those who violate the law and kill innocent civilians.
Deadly clashes took place last Monday between the two tribes in the locality of Abu Karinka leaving hundreds dead or injured from both sides.
The speaker of the Ma’alia Shura Council Mardas Guma’a on Wednesday pointed fingers at high-level officials in the Sudanese government and held them responsible for deadly clashes between his tribe and the Rezeigat.
Meanwhile, the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) said it formed two committees to contain the conflict between the two tribes, warning external parties against seeking to sow discord between the two sides.
DRA cabinet minister, Mohamed Youssef, said the first committee is formed from the executive branch of the DAR while the second committee includes all members of the legislative council.
He told the pro-government Sudan Media Center (SMC) the two committees aim to defuse the crisis and address humanitarian and social issues besides consolidating local efforts to resolve the problem between the two tribes.
Youssef underscored that the DRA supports measures taken by the federal government to impose the authority of the state, noting the chairman of the DRA, Tijani Sissi, instructed the two committees to head immediately to East Darfur state.
The DRA official further pointed to existence of external bodies which seek to sow sedition among Darfur’s tribe for their own agenda, calling upon Ma’alia and Rezeigat to exercise self-control, listen to the voice of reason and stop the bloodshed.
The violence which erupted this week is latest in a series of conflicts that occurred over the years between the two tribes in a dispute over land.
Numerous reconciliation conferences and mediation efforts have failed to end the long-standing feud especially after reports that the disputed land contained oil.
Last August, 200 Ma’alia and 123 Rezeigat tribesmen were killed in clashes which took place in the Umm Rakubah area in East Darfur’ Abu Karinka locality.
Over 149 people were killed and 120,000 civilians displaced by armed clashes between the two tribes which broke out in early August 2013.
(ST)