Despite treaty, Central Darfur tribal clashes resume

Fighting between Misseriya and Salamat tribesmen resumed in Central Darfur on Thursday, one day after leaders of both sides signed a cessation of hostilities treaty. They had also agreed to hold a reconciliation conference on 30 April. The agreement, signed in Umm Dukhun by Nazirs (top native administrators) of both tribes, stipulated the dismantling of soldiers’ camps, the return of displaced to their villages, the demilitarization of civilians and the liberation of seized territories.   Salamat Nazir Mohamed Al Bashir Musa declared that “everyone should respect the agreement and stop the shooting because there is not one key issue to fight over”. Tensions in Umm Dukhun began to rise after a member of the Misseriya tribe allegedly tried looting and opening fire on a Salamat man, who was not hurt. Hostilities erupted the next day on 4 April when 4,000 men of both sides began battling each other. Musa demanded the warring parties to “show self-restraint” and not to respond to any kind of provocations from the opposite side. He noted the Salamat respect the treaty and urged all native administrators to “listen to the voice of reason” and not follow youngsters who are encouraging further hostilities. The nazir said leaders of both tribes are working towards getting the signing of the final agreement on April 30 to restore security, peace and stability in Umm Dukhun.   Ali Kushayb According to previous reports by Radio Dabanga, the tribal war had spread as far as over the South Darfur border towards Rahad El Berdi locality, the stronghold of the Al Taaysha tribe.Nazir Musa confirmed the claims saying he spoke on the phone with an omda and a local leader of the locality, who said that two Salamat men were assaulted by Al Taaysha tribesmen. The event led to an exchange of fire between both sides, they added. Local witnesses, however, said two Salamat tribesmen were in fact killed by the Al Taaysha on Thursday “north of the Rahad El Berdi market”. The attack was led by Ali Kushayb, an alleged war criminal indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Next, a group of mourners who were going to bury the two Salamat victims was assaulted by Ali Kushayb and his soldiers and both sides exchanged fire, witnesses said. Ali Kushayb, from the Al Taaysha tribe himself, is reportedly the commander of the Central Reserve Forces (known as Abu Tira) of Rahad El Berdi. He is accused of committing murders, rapes and forcibly displacing thousands of people in Darfur. Government sources in South Darfur confirmed Kushayb is the Rahad El Berdi Abu Tira leader and that he is in the area at the moment. For his part, Abdelrahman Bishara, Nazir of the Al Taaysha confirmed to Radio Dabanga that fighting between the Salamat and the local tribe took place in the area. He did not mention the occurrence of any casualties.Bishara urged all parties to stop battling each other, “listen to the voice of reason” and go back to living peacefully next to each other, “as it used to be”. The UN confirmed receiving reports of fighting between the same two tribes in Rahad El Berdi locality that started on 5 April: “The fighting reportedly led to the death or injury of many tribesmen from both tribes. There have also been unconfirmed reports of people from the Salamat tribe fleeing to Chad. The situation in the area is reportedly tense”. Mukjar Meanwhile in Mukjar, north of Umm Dukhun, local witnesses said 100 armed Misseriya who arrived on horses and camels attacked the town at 2pm on Thursday. The water well of a Furqaan of the Salamat, located four kilometers north of Mukjar, was also attacked leaving two injured: Adam Hamadou Saleh and Mohamed Saleh Musa. Furqaan are semi-deserted areas occupied by very few people and their livestock.The alleged perpetrators also looted 800 cattle and fled northwards.   Different sources claimed fighting also took place in Danbar administration building, south of Mukjar. They did not provide any details about casualties.  The UNHCR says some 50,000 people fled the war in Central Darfur to neighboring Chad, in what it called the largest influx of refugees from Sudan into Chad since 2005.File photoRelated:Central Darfur inter-tribal fighting: 50,000 arrive in Chad (12 April 2013)After 10,000 displaced Salamat-Misseriya sign treaty in Darfur (11 April 2013)