Leaders call on Darfur tribes to ‘honour treaty’ as clashes subside

Tribal and government leaders have called upon the Misseriya and Salamat tribes in Central Darfur “to honour the treaty signed between them”, while the state’s Presidential Commissioner laments “the proliferation of firearms”. The clashes between Misseriya and Salamat tribesmen that raged – centred on the cities of Garsila, Bundisi, and Mukjar – for more than a week and left more than 100 dead and dozens more wounded subsided as the omdas of the tribes reached an accord and on Tuesday afternoon. The leaders of the tribes reaffirmed their commitment to the “Reconciliation Agreement” reached under the auspices of an Ajaweed conference in Zalingei at the end of June. The effect of the clashes reportedly influenced all aspects of civilian life, and the Presidential Commissioner of Central Darfur state, Abubakar Gabosh has warned that the state is threatened by hunger. Many reports have reached Radio Dabanga about the challenges the ongoing violence created for agriculture, the distribution of food aid by NGOs, and supply of consumer goods to the markets, most of which remained closed at the height of the violence. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, the commissioner said that the three localities of Wadi Salih, Mukjar and Bindisi are especially vulnerable to famine. “This is a result of the tribal conflicts and spread of weapons that have been distributed by the government to the tribes,” he said. “The southern localities of Central Darfur are crammed with large quantities of weapons,” he said, pointing out that of the estimated two million firearms in Darfur, “11 per cent of the weapons were distributed by the government to the tribes, 40 per cent are now in the hands of tribes, 20 per cent in the hands of the government, 11 per cent in the hands of Unamid and 10 per cent in the hands of armed movements”. Gabosh called on the Salamat and Misseriya tribes “to honour the implementation of the treaty signed by both of them”. A notable Salamat tribal leader in Garsila city, Mohamed Bishara, who witnessed the signing of the peace treaty, told Radio Dabanga on Wednesday that his tribe “are for peace and against war”. Omda Bishara claims that “throughout the fighting, the Salamat have not been the aggressor but have acted in self-defence”. He accused parties he did not specifically identify as being “behind recent events”, speaking of “warmongers who are known to the government”. He called on the government “to face and deter these warmongers,” appealing via Radio Dabanga to both parties “to be committed to peace on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan”. Hamid Ali Jibair Abu Ghurra, a notable Arab tribal leader also appealed to both parties via Radio Dabanga “to stop fighting and resort to the voice of reason.” He also called for “a halt to militias killing, and robbing the displaced”, asserting that “the government helped the spread the culture of fighting and chaos by contributing to the payment of blood money to the tribes.” File photo: Leaders have voiced concerns over the proliferation of firearms in Darfur (Stuart Price/UN Photo) Related: Warring tribes ‘swear to halt violence’ in Central Darfur (30 July 2013)Sudanese army guard Garsila market as ‘Misseriya gather for assault’: Witnesses (28 July 2013)One killed, four injured in renewed tribal violence in Central Darfur (25 July 2013)Army, tribal leaders ‘restore calm’ to Garsila, Central Darfur (24 July 2012)Robbery in Garsila market, Central Darfur, escalates into inter-tribal clash (23 July 2013) Misseriya, Salamat ‘reach agreement’ at Zalingei conference in Central Darfur (1 July 2013)