A leader of the Rizeigat tribe in Sudan's East Darfur state has accused local authorities of failing to curb insecurity in the area, referring to reports of rising tension between the Rizeigat and Ma'alia tribes in the area.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Mahmud Musa Madibo accused the Ma’alia tribe of killing about 11 people. He said the Ma’alia took cattle during the Merowe peace conference in February.

The tribal leader threatened to fight the Ma’alia if the government cannot recover their stolen cows and stop the Ma’alia from killing.

Madibo also dismissed claims that they are mobilising youths to attack the Ma’alia tribe soon. However, he hinted at a possibility of deadly clashes between the two tribes if the government doesn’t intervene to resolve the problem as soon as possible.

Rizeigat mobilizing

East Darfur Governor Al Tayib Abbel-Karim confirmed that the Rizeigat tribe was mobilising to attack the Ma’alia tribe, saying the move could trigger bloody clashes between the two sides.

He claimed that his government deployed security forces to create a buffer zone between the two tribes in order to stop clashes.

The top state official pointed out that a joint committee comprising politicians and native administration leaders was also formed to look into the matter.

He called on the two feuding tribes to disseminate a culture of peace instead of spreading hate speeches that can lead to further tribal feuds.

But Madibo denied claims of security forces deployed by the state government between them and the Ma’alia tribe.

He accused the government of failing to provide full security to citizens.

Ma'alia 'ready' for attacks

For his part, the Ma’alia tribal leader Zachariah Suleiman acknowledged the rising tension between the two tribes.

He also accused the government of failing to resolve the conflict by pushing for an unacceptable peace document in Merowe town. 

Suleiman further stressed that deadly clashes could erupt if differences between the two sides are not resolved.

The tribal leader accused the Rizeigat tribe of planning to attack them, but said his people are ready for any attack.                                                         

In July last year, fighting erupted between the Riziegat and Ma’alia tribes over land in which over 600 people from the two sides were killed over 55,000 others displaced to Adila and Abu Karinka Localities.

Several peace conferences including the recent Merowe meeting failed. In Merowe, the Rizeigat signed a peace document but the Ma'alia rejected it. The document stipulated that Adila and Abu Karinka areas historically belonged to Rizeigat tribe.