Hamar protests in West Kordofan after unilateral border demarcations

The authorities in El Nehoud in West Kordofan temporarily suspended their work this week, in compliance with the request of the Hamar* tribe after conflict over new unilateral border demarcations. An armed group also closed the road linking El Nehoud with El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, on Wednesday, but it was reopened hours later on the orders of Hamar leaders.

According to various sources, oil fields were also closed in protest.

Abdelgader Munim Mansour, Nazir** of the Hamar clans, attributed the escalation to the expropriation of large lands belonging to the Hamar in favour of Misseriya tribesmen in the area.

On Radio Dabanga’s Voice of the States programme, Mansour explained that the West Kordofan Security Committee and a group of Misseriya people formed unilateral committees to demarcate the borders between the two tribes without notifying the Hamar.

The Hamar then submitted a request to discuss the issue, but the Misseriya refused that and proceeded to draw the newly defined borders. This brought the Hamar to declare the escalation of protests. They also sent a delegation to Khartoum to discuss problem.

'The West Kordofan Security Committee and a group of Misseriya people formed unilateral committees to demarcate the borders between the two tribes without notifying the Hamar'

The National Umma Party (NUP) said that it held separate meetings with the governor of West Kordofan and other state politicians and with Hamar Nazir Mansour and the emir of Dar*** Hamar in Khartoum to discuss the situation in the state.

In a press statement yesterday, the NUP explained that the emir affirmed their adherence to their legitimate historical and political demands and their full commitment to keep the El Nehoud-El Obeid road open to traffic. The emir also promised to make every effort to convince his tribesmen to follow peaceful and legitimate means.

The NUP said it secured the re-demarcation of the administrative borders in the region to be conducted by the National Border Commission, instead of the state’s security committee.

The governor of West Kordofan, Khaled Ahmed Jeili, told Radio Dabanga that the situation in West Kordofan is calm and that work in the government offices is ‘proceeding normally’.

Last month, a farmer was killed and 20 others were injured in clashes north of El Sunut in West Kordofan and other deadly conflicts occurred in May and June without adequate intervention by authorities, showing the tense relations in the area.

* Previously called Humur on Radio Dabanga’s news website.

** A nazir is a state-appointed administrative chief of a clan, according to the native administration system in Sudan. An emir is the head of a tribe.

*** Dar is an Arabic word meaning homeland [of]