Tribes, NCF demand East Darfur tribes to stop fighting

The native administrations in Darfur and a coalition of political opposition parties have appealed to the warring Rizeigat and Ma’aliya tribes in East Darfur to restrain themselves and stop the fighting.Yasir Ahmadai, the chief of the Berti tribe, told Radio Dabanga that he has sent a message to both parties, urging them to resort to the voice of reason and peace. He also appealed to the government of Sudan to immediately intervene “and play its role”.The Sultan of the Masalit tribe in West Darfur, Saad Abdel Rahman Bahreldin, called upon both tribes to end the clashes as well. The Chairman of the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) Council further appealed to the federal government to take action. He suggested to the tribal leaders and notables of the community in Darfur to move to the conflict area in East Darfur as soon as possible, to contribute to resolving the crisis.The opposition parties under the banner of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) held the Sudanese government responsible for the tribal fighting in Um Rakuba, East Darfur, and West Kordofan. Siddig Yousif, the coalition’s spokesman, told Radio Dabanga from Khartoum: “The weapons and vehicles used by the fighting Rizeigat and Ma’aliya, whether in East Darfur or West Kordofan, come from the government.”He stressed that the only solution to stop the clashes is to overthrow the regime in Khartoum.174 killed in clashesRadio Dabanga reported yesterday that a cautious calm prevailed after the deadly clashes between the two tribes in Um Rakuba area on Wednesday. The local police reported to have counted 51 killed Rizeigat tribesmen, and 123 Ma’aliya tribesmen on Thursday.A police battalion has been sent to the area to intervene, as well as armoured vehicles backed with helicopters, according to several sources in the area. “The forces deployed to separate the warring parties are utterly professional troops from other tribes,” the East Darfur Deputy Governor, Ahmed Kibir Jibril, told Radio Dabanga earlier.In Khartoum, students and Ma’aliya leaders staged a protest in front of the Presidential Palace, and handed a memorandum in which they hold the federal government responsible for “the attacks by Rizeigat militiamen on Ma’aliya civilians in Um Rakuba”, an area inhabited by the latter.File photo: Rizeigat leaders during a tribal conference with Dinka Malual leaders in Gok-Machar in 2013 (gurtong.net)Related:Forces deployed in East Darfur to curb new tribal clashes (21 August 2014)’Hundreds’ die in Ma’aliya, Rizeigat fighting in East Darfur (20 August 2014)