Sudan V-P: ‘Collect arms in tribal conflicts’

Sudan's second vice-president and the presidential assistant said to address tribal conflicts by collecting weapons from civilians in Darfur. The paramilitary force has detained leaders of the native administration of the Maaliya and Rizeigat tribes in East Darfur.

Second Vice-President Hasabo Mohamed Abdelrahman and Assistant to the President Ibrahim El Sanousi issued a press statement after a meeting about the coordination with tribal leaderships about the campaign to collect weapons in Darfur.

The leaders discussed Sudan's past experiences in addressing tribal conflicts and collecting weapons from civilians, El Sanousi said, and the importance of coordinating with the tribes in the concerned states and the relevant parties, “to achieve harmony that benefits Sudan”.

Before the end of 2017, illegal arms are planned to be collected from civilians – voluntarily initially, and compulsory at a later stage – and reforms will be made to the so-called supporting forces of the Sudanese army. The various government militias will be dissolved and its members join the RSF.

Meanwhile the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a campaign of detentions among the leaders of the native administration and tribesmen of Maaliya and Rizeigat in East Darfur. The detainees include about 130 tribe members and dozens of omdas who have been transferred to the prisons of Port Sudan and Osman Digna in Sawakin.

East Darfur Governor Anas Omar acknowledged this week that “the government is keeping a limited number of native administration officials from the Rizeigat and Maaliya and many of the so-called militants in the prisons of Nyala and Port Sudan, in order to preserve the blood and spread the prestige of the state”.

Almost 50 tribesmen were killed in new Ma'aliya-Rizeigat clashes east of Muhajiriya in East Darfur a week ago. The fighting was triggered by accusations of cattle theft. The East Darfur authorities deployed a military buffer force to separate the militants.