African-UN Force Aims to Reduce Ethnic Tensions
New York, Nov 2 2009 4:10PM
The joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur has participated in a reconciliation ceremony in the north of the region that is aimed at halting a spate of recent inter-tribal clashes that have killed at least two dozen people.
Tensions have increased around the town of
Shangil Tobaya after a member of the Tengur tribe was killed
by Zaghawa men during their clashes with Birgid tribesmen
last week, according to information released by the
peacekeeping mission, known as UNAMID (http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unamid/).
Yesterday
UNAMID military officials, joined by a mediation committee
of umdahs (local leaders) and a general from the Minni
Minawi faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), met with
community leaders from local tribes to urge them to exercise
restraint.
After the talks the Zaghawas apologized for
the killing and a peace agreement was signed by the two
tribes to avert the threat of possible reprisals or the
Tengurs joining forces with the Birgids to launch future
attacks on the Zaghawas.
UNAMID has attributed the
recent fighting to disputes over access to water, a
particularly precious commodity in Darfur, an arid and
landlocked region. The mission sent an assessment team to
the area last week comprising military officers, police
officers and humanitarian, human rights, security, civil
affairs and protection officials.
UNAMID has been in
place across Darfur since the start of last year to try to
quell the fighting and humanitarian suffering that has
engulfed the region since 2003. At least 300,000 people are
estimated to have died
from the conflict and another 2.7 million people remain
displaced from their
homes.
ENDS