The Sudanese Rufaa al-Hawai tribes who returned from South Sudan rangelands following independence have rejected the Sennar state government’s decision to forcibly move them and have urged authorities to resolve their problem peacefully.

One tribe member, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the group would rather avoid resorting to other methods to protect their interests but accused the state government and the ruling party, the NCP, of trying to dismantle their community.

A source familiar with the region told Radio Tamazuj that the history of the community is well known in the region but circumstances had forced them to migrate to South Sudan before independence there forced them to return.

“The members of this community own a lot of livestock… (and) the governor’s decision will let the community and Sudan at large lose these livestock resources. The governor’s decision will spark tribal strife in the region,” the source predicted.

Given that they are Sudanese nationals, the community want the government to provide them with an adequate piece of land on which to reside.

The Rufaa al-Hawai are formed from communities who historically live in the border areas between South Sudan and Sudan but migrated to Sennar state following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the recent violence in Blue Nile state.