Sudanese tribesmen request reconciliation mechanism

The leaders of the Ma’aliya and Rizeigat tribes have demanded the Sudanese Presidency of the Republic to form a mechanism that will bring together the two warring tribes and fully implements the decisions of their reconciliation.

There is a need for a body that deals with the outcomes of the tribal reconciliation conference in Merowe, in the country's North state, that started on 17 February.

A member of the Shura Council of the Rizeigat tribe, Mohamed Eisa Aliou, confirmed to Dabanga Sudan that the conference currently continues its work through committees. They are to discuss issues such as compensations for the fighting and killing(blood money), the dead, the wounded, the stolen items, and the root causes of the problem.

On his part, the representative of the Ma’aliya tribe, Ibrahim Hassan El Basha, acknowledged that the dispute between the two tribes is related to the conflict over land. He added that the formation of a mechanism of implementation will sustain the peace.

In August last year, during clashes that have been termed ‘the massacre of Um Rakuba’, 123 Ma’aliya and 51 Rizeigat were killed, and more than 140 tribesmen were wounded in Abu Karinka locality. The state took measures and stationed military troops between Abu Karinka, Abu Jabra, and Assalaya localities in order to prevent renewed clashes. June and July 2014 also witnessed bloody tribal clashes in East Darfur, with at least 53 tribesmen reportedly killed, while efforts for reconciliation were continued. Since the beginning of 2014, tribal conflicts between the Rizeigat and Ma'aliya have caused tension in the area.

Related article:

Rizeigat, Ma'aliya clash in Sheiria, East Darfur (13 October 2014)