Ma’alia tribesmen in the Sudanese capital Khartoum handed a petition to president Omar al Bashir requesting urgent intervention to stop what they termed “ethnic cleansing” in East Darfur state.
The petition comes after clashes between the Ma’alia and Rizeigat tribes that have left 174 people dead last week.
The fighting took place at Um Rakoba area last Wednesday resulting in 123 Ma’alia and 51 Rizeigat killed, reported Radio Dabanga.
Members of the Ma’alia tribe demonstrated outside the presidential palace chanting slogans and holding banners condemning assaults by the Rizeigat.
They also accused government forces and its allied militia of fighting alongside the Rizeigat, and called on top government officials to resolve the conflict and bring the perpetrators to book.
Commander of Border Protection Forces (BPF) in East Darfur state Colonel Abdul Rahman Juma denied claims that his forces were involved in the tribal conflict involved the two tribes.
Abdul Rahman also dismissed rumors that a commander of the BPF was shot dead in the clashes.
File photo (Stuart Price/UN)
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