Tribal tensions contained after alleged cattle theft in South Darfur

(UPDATED) Missing cattle belonging to the Beni Halba tribe in South Darfur sparked tensions on Monday. Mohamed Yagoub Ismail, a leader of the Fellata tribe, told Radio Dabanga on Wednesday that the developing crisis was contained the next day. “The problems started after a number of cows belonging to Beni Halba tribesmen went missing in Ed El Fursan locality. A ‘rescue team’ was formed to track the cows. The traces led them to the territory of the Fellata. Tensions rose when the ‘rescue team’ accused Fellata of having stolen the cattle, randomly seized five of their tribesmen, and took them to Ed El Fursan.” The Fellata sent a delegation of elders to Ed El Fursan, the stronghold of the Beni Halba, to discuss the crisis. A meeting was held in which representatives of the Beni Halba, Fellata, and Taisha native administration took part, together with the Commissioners of the localities of Ed El Fursan, Katila and Tullus. They agreed to release the five Fellata tribesmen, and to convene a fact-finding meeting after ten days.On Tuesday, Fathi El Tom, a notable of the Beni Halba tribe, had told Radio Dabanga that “Fellata outlaws had stolen a number of cows, and ambushed a Beni Halba rescue team that was tracking the thieves.”He said that the rescue team had seized four Fellata tribesmen, and had taken them to the police station in Ed El Fursan town. File photo: Cattle in Darfur (Albert González Farran/Unamid) Related: Appeal for calm as tribesmen die in South Darfur clash (13 February 2014)