Imam of Mecca to mediate between Darfur tribes

An imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca arrived in East Darfur to mediate between the warring Rizeigat and Ma'aliya tribes today.

High cleric Dr Khaled El Ghamdi travelled from Saudi Arabia to Ed Daein, the capital of the state, to try to find a solution to the continuing tribal conflict.

Invited as imam in the mosque of Ed Daein, he spoke before the prayers and told the worshippers to stop the bloodshed between the two tribes. He asked them “to be tolerate and forgiving as the people of Darfur”.

Afterwards, he visited the construction site of the Islamic Ed Daein Religious Complex to lay the foundation stone. The complex is donated by Saudi Arabia, and planned to hold a Koran studies centre, a library, and a mosque. He also visited the construction site of the complex of King Suleiman of Saudi Arabia.

The area of Ed Daein is considered to belong to the Rizeigat tribe, while Abu Karinka locality is considered the stronghold of the Ma'aliya. There, El Ghamdi met with the leaders of the Ma'aliya tribe.

A source in one of the tribes told Radio Dabanga that the imam is expected to meet with all tribal leaders soon, so as to unite their views and start a reconciliation process between them.

Last week the Ma’aliya and Rizeigat tribes reached an agreement, aimed to put an end to friction between the tribes, which flared up again in April and May this year. The agreement was facilitated by the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (Unamid).