Representatives of the warring Hamar tribe of Kordofan and Ma’aliya tribe of East Darfur signed an agreement to stop their violent confrontations, which have been continuing for two years.

Both tribes agreed to participate in a reconciliation conference that will start next Friday, July 18, in El Fula, West Kordofan.

The agreement was signed by the leader of the Hamar Union, Abdel Rahim Ahmed Salem, and the chairman of the Ma’aliya Consultative Council, Mordos Juma Abdallah, on Friday evening at the premises of Hamar leaders in Omdurman, the sister-city of Khartoum.

The leaders agreed that the native administrators of both tribes will make efforts to intervene early in problems, to solve them peacefully, before they develop into clashes.

Since 1 July, military forces have been deployed in localities of East Darfur and West Kordofan to serve as a buffer between Hamar and Ma’aliya warriors. Clashes between the two tribes in late June led to the death and injury of at least 60 people from both sides.

Reporting by Radio Dabanga

File photo: Signing of a peace treaty between Ma’aliya and Rizeigat in North Darfur, August 2013 (Hamid Abdulsalam/Unamid)