Mediation to solve eastern Sudan tribal violence

On Wednesday, leaders of the Nuba and Beni Amer tribes in Kassala presented a proposal for mediation between the two parties.

People from Nuba tribes in South Kordofan who settled in Kassala and members of the eastern Sudanese Beni Amer tribe clashed in Kassala town last week. The fighting that lasted three days left eight dead and more than 80 injured.

Following reconciliation efforts by tribal leaders and the deployment of a government security force, calm returned on Monday. People who fled their homes are in a dire situation.

Hindi Ebeid, head of the Nuba Tribes Coordination Council in Kassala, told Radio Dabanga that they handed their proposal concerning the cessation of hostilities to the mediation team. “We will await the mediation response once the papers submitted by each party are completed,” he said.

He further appealed to charity organisations to provide aid to the families affected by the conflict and who are now living in the open without shelter or food.

Lt Gen Khalid El Shami, Deputy Chief of Staff of Army Operations, called the parties to the conflict to resort to the voice of reason and discuss the matter in depth in order to prevent fighting in the future.

Following separate meetings with the two parties in Kassala, Lt Gen El Shami called for “radical solutions to the problems that repeatedly occur in eastern Sudan”.

He said that the reasons for the dispute were heard from both sides. More sessions will be held with the warring parties “until the roots of the problems will be defined and solved”.

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