Oil explorations in the northern part of East Darfur have been suspended because of tribal conflicts over land rights in the area.
The chairman of the parliamentary Committee of Economic Affairs, Salem El Safi Hijeir, told the press on Thursday that the oil explorations in the field of Zurga Um Hadeeda, located in the northern part of East Darfur have been stopped by the company because of security reasons.
“The Hamar and Ma’aliya tribes are contesting the ownership of the area,” he said, referring to two nomadic Arab tribes.
“The production of oil in Hadeeda field is continuing despite tribal conflicts over the ownership of the field,” Hijeir explained.
He announced that a reconciliation conference between the Hamar and Ma’aliya tribes will be convened “in the coming days” on the ownership of the lands in which the Zurga Um Hadeeda field is located.
A source on the Ma’aliya side told Radio Tamazuj today that five people were killed and others wounded in fighting between the two tribes, which started on Thursday. He said that the sheikh of Basham village was among those killed, in Adila Locality.
The same source also pointed out that dozens of people have been forced to flee and that the passenger train heading from Khartoum to Nyala was halted in Babanusa owing to the conflict.