Head of Darfur authority urges to deal seriously with tribal fighting

April 22, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — Minni Minnawi, Sudanese Senior Presidential Assistant and head of Darfur transitional authority urged the government of South Darfur state to use the necessary means to stop tribal fighting in South Darfur.

During a meeting held in Nyala on Wednesday with the South Darfur caretaker governor Omer Abdel Jabar, the head of Darfur transitional authority asked the state government to act seriously in order stop the fighting between the local tribes.

Clashes between between Rizeigat and Al-Saada tribes in Wohda district over cattle rustling during this week resulted in the killing of more than 50 people and the burning to different villages. The state authorities were accused of not reacting swiftly to stop the tribal fighting.

Minnawi regretted the regular clashes in the state and urged the South Darfur authorities to intervene massively and to deploy troops on the troubled sites to stop the fighting.

He also demanded to arrest the troublemakers adding that the tribal fighting is instigated by some people living in the state capital Nyala without elaborating.

The Governor stressed that his government is seeking to capture the promoters of tribal strife, pointing out that a fact-finding committee had gone to the locations of the clashes to investigate the causes of the clashes between Rizeigat and Al-Saada .

The commissioner of Wohda in South Darfur State stated earlier this week that two security committees of the South Darfur state and Wohda are present at the sites and that the situation has been under control.

He said that a committee has been formed to calm the tension between the two sides and tackle the root-causes of the problem.

(ST)