Warring Fellata, Salamat leaders meet in South Darfur’s capital today

The security committee of South Darfur has summoned the leaders of the warring Fellata and Salamat tribes to meet in the state capital of Nyala today to discuss repeated clashes since March this year.

Though the committee sent buffer forces to contain the situation in March, and again last Thursday evening, renewed clashes broke out on Friday morning, when Fellata fighters attacked Asalaya village, populated by Salamat, in Buram locality.

The state security committee said in a statement on Friday that it had sent a military force of 20 Land Cruisers “with full fighting equipment to arrest anyone who participated in the bloody incidents”. A team has been formed to investigate the incidents. The security committee further ordered the leaders of both tribes to discuss the situation during a meeting in Nyala on Monday.

On Thursday, Fellata militants attacked Salamat at the market of Amoud El Aradeib, some 90 kilometres south of Nyala. Dozens of tribesmen were killed and wounded. 

The deputy chieftain of the Fellata told Radio Dabanga on Sunday that the South Darfur authorities had sent an aircraft to Tullus that morning, to transfer Fellata leaders to Nyala for the meeting on Monday. He said that the meeting is scheduled to commence at noon, but that the agenda is still to be disclosed.