The former governor of South Darfur Abdel Hamid Musa Kasha has headed to al-Fula town in the western sector of South Kordofan to mediate between two feuding sections of the Misseriya Arab tribe.

Kasha aims to close the rift between the Misseriya Zurug and Misseriya Fallaita clans, whose differences recently erupted into open conflict.

He is chairing a reconciliation committee consisting of members of uninvolved tribes such as the Rizeigat and al-Hajaira. His past experience in mediation is extensive, including during the 2010 Misseriya-Rizeigat war in Kass Locality.

In an exclusive interview, the former South Darfur governor told Radio Tamazuj that his committee has thus far already succeeded in ascertaining the views and demands of the two parties to the conflict.

He announced his appreciation for the timely responses by the two sides to the committee’s initiative. He also thanked the state government authorities including Governor Ahmed Harun.

The former governor added that their committee will work full-on to halt the bloodshed, identify the losses and provide medical services to the wounded people, in order to create an atmosphere for a reconciliation conference soon.

Kasha denied that the committee has any governmental link or affiliation, revealing that the initiative was invited by the local native administration and came under the auspices of the office of decentralized governance represented by the Minister Hassabo Mohamed Abdel Raham.

Speaking on Wednesday, he added that the committee would be heading to al-Fula the same day to assess the situation on the ground, and then complete the process of mediation between the feuding parties.

Mohammed Ahmed Aldhakar, a member of the Fallaita consultative body said that they had heard that there is a committee headed by Kasha to defuse the dispute, but he said Wednesday that they did not yet reach al-Fula town.

He welcomed any initiative aiming to reconcile the Awlad Heiban and Awlad Surur clans, which were the two sub-sections most involved. He also revealed the arrival of delegations from Nuba, Beja, al-Hamar and al-Maalia to al-Fula town for the same purpose.

According to Aldhakar, there were some families of Awlad Heiban expelled from the town. “They are not wanted here again,” he said, explaining that they were the cause of the last regrettable incident. 

File photo: A reconciliation conference among Arab pastoralists in Zalingei, West Darfur, June 2010 (UNAMID)