‘Ma’aliya, Rizeigat may clash at any moment’: East Darfur Commissioner

On Monday, a group of Rizeigat militants set fire to houses belonging to Ma’aliya in the area of El Sahab in Abu Karinka locality, East Darfur. The situation has become very tense. Osman Gisim, the Commissioner of Abu Karinka, told the Sudanese press on Tuesday that six houses burned down in the area of El Sahab on Monday.  Gisim expected that the situation could explode “at any moment”. “There are large crowds of Rizeigat tribesmen gathering in the area of El Fado, while groups of Ma’aliya are concentrating in El Sahab.”The Security Committee of East Darfur State has begun sending army troops to the area. “Military aircrafts will be used too, to break up the gatherings of the tribesmen on both sides in order to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.” The Commissioner warned for “disastrous consequences” of new clashes. He appealed to the tribesmen to “renounce war, stop the clashes, and respect the peace agreements signed by your leaders.” On Saturday, fierce fighting erupted between Rizeigat and Ma’aliya in the area of El Sahab, northeast of Abu Karinka town. “27 men from both tribes were killed, and 17 others wounded”, the Commissioner told Radio Dabanga on Sunday. A dispute over stolen livestock had sparked the clashes.After the assassination of a Ma’aliya sheikh on 18 June, fierce fighting broke out between the warring tribes. Since then tension between members of the tribes has been simmering. The reconciliation conference between the two tribes, convened in El Fula, West Kordofan, in June, was suspended, owing to a lack of visible progress. The conference is scheduled to resume on 10 August. File photo Related: Rizeigat, Ma’aliya clash in Abu Karinka, East Darfur (6 July 2014) New Ma’aliya-Rizeigat clashes in East Darfur (18 June 2014) Ma’aliya, Rizeigat clash for second time within two days in East Darfur (21 March 2014)Six dead as Ma’aliya, Rizeigat clash over sheep in East Darfur (27 January 2014)