Roundup: Tribal conflicts possible in Sudan's Darfur, buffer zone set up

Tensions are mounting in Sudan's East Darfur State as armed tribal forces are mobilizing in recent days for a possible conflict, while a buffer zone has been set up between the two by the government.

Al-Tayeb Abdel-Karim, governor of the state, told reporters on Monday that the mobilization of the armed men from the Rezeigat and the Ma'alia tribes could well trigger "the most violent clashes between the two sides."

He said the state authorities have taken measures to maintain the security there, like establishing joint political committees to intervene and to prevent the further deterioration of the situation.

Stressing that the state would not hesitate to enforce law and order, he urged the two tribes to refrain from violence and work to maintain peaceful co-existence.

Meanwhile, a military source, speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, said "the central government is to deploy two army battalions to separate between the two tribes besides two war planes to monitor their movement."

In the meantime, the UN- African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) on Monday expressed concerns in a statement over the escalating tension on the ground.

The UN mission also encouraged both tribes to exercise maximum restraint, engage in meaningful dialogues to resolve their dispute and refrain from all acts that would lead to violence and displacement.

The UNAMID also spoke positive of the government for its actions to cool down the inflammable situation, and called for additional efforts to avoid potential eruption of conflict.

It also pledged to continue to protect affected civilians, and back the moves of all parties to de-escalate the tensions and achieve inter-tribal reconciliation accordance to its mandate.

The conflict between Rezeigat and the Ma'alia dates back to 1966 owning to land disputes. The conflict has later turned more violent after oil was found in the disputed areas.

The last clashes between the two tribes was in July 2014 which left over 600 persons dead and about 900 injured on both sides, while more than 55,000 others were displaced due to the fighting.

For years, all the official and popular efforts have failed to end the tribal conflicts, which have become a nagging concern for local population and the authorities of the troubled region.

The Darfur region has seen growing tribal violence as the local tribes could easily obtain weapons, while many parts of the area have no effective governance.

Darfur region lies on the far west region of Sudan with a total area estimated at around 500,000 square km. It is considered Sudan's western gate where the region shares joint borders with Libya, Chad and Central Africa Republic.

Tribes and clans are still the backbones of local economic, social and political institutions, while the people there still feed themselves through traditional grazing and rain-fed agriculture. Enditem