Peace forum in early December for East Darfur’s warring tribes

The Ma’aliya and Rizeigat tribes in East Darfur will hold a reconciliation conference in Marawi, Sudan’s Northern state, on 5 December, the East Darfur state Govenrnor announced. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, Governor Col. El Tayeb Ahmed Abdelkarim said that the initiative came from the reconciliation commission of the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA), following consultations among the chieftains of both tribes. “All the preparations for the conference have been completed to end the tribes’ differences,” Abdelkarim said. He stressed that the security measures taken by the state, the declaration of a State of Emergency, and the deployment of buffer troops have helped to establish security and paved the way for the peace conference. The Governor called via Radio Dabanga upon both Rizeigat and Ma’aliya tribes to exercise self-restraint, resort to the voice of reason and make efforts to repair the social fabric and the state’s development. At least 47 tribesmen were killed in fighting that broke out between Ma’aliya and Rizeigat in Um Rakuba on 16 August. Government troops were deployed as buffer forces, to no avail, as three days later fierce clashes erupted in the area of Um Rakuba in Abu Karinka locality, reportedly after an attack by Rizeigat on Ma’aliya citizens in the area. Hundreds of people were killed. File photo: Ma’aliya and Rizeigat delegations arrive in North Darfur before the signing of a cessation of hostilities deal on 22 August 2013 (Hamid Abdelsalam / Unamid) Related: Troops deployed in East Darfur as buffer against tribal clashes (9 October 2014)