Dozens of South Darfur tribesmen transferred to Port Sudan prison

16/03/2016 15:10 NYALA

84 Fellata and Salamat tribesmen detained under the South Darfur emergency measures last month were transferred from Nyala to Port Sudan on Saturday.
The tribesmen were held in late February, a week after renewed clashes claimed 25 lives.
Salamat Omda Idris Saeed told Radio Dabanga from Rahad El Berdi that he welcomed the decision by South Darfur Governor Adam El Faki to arrest the 84 tribal leaders and fighters. “Since the arrest of the militant leaders and the fighters, no incidents of armed conflict or livestock theft have been reported in Tullus and Buram localities.”
The omda appealed to the other governors and native administration leaders in Darfur “to do as the Governor of South Darfur did”.
He further called on the South Darfur authorities to push for reconciliation between the Salamat and the Taisha, “as the dialogue between the two tribes has continued now for two years without a tangible result, and the Salamat families who fled the tribal fighting in Rahad El Berdi locality three years ago, want to return home”.
In early 2014, Rahad El Berdi tribal leaders demanded the closure of the military training camps for young tribesmen in South Darfur, after the area witnessed extremely fierce clashes between Salamat, Misseriya and Taisha tribesmen.
The delegations further requested the Ministers of Defence and Interior Affairs to expel the Chadian commander of the joint military force of Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic (CAR) who they accuse of “interfering in the affairs of Sudan”.
The South Darfur authorities imposed a number of emergency measures in July 2014, in an attempt to curb the increasing lawlessness in the state. An Emergency Court was established in August, to speedily try offenders of the measures that banned unregistered vehicles, the carrying of weapons by civilians, the wearing of a turban covering the face (kadamool), and riding a motorcycle by more than one person.
People accused or convicted for heavy crimes in Darfur are often deported to a Port Sudan prison, to prevent attempts by relatives or comrades to free them.

84 Fellata and Salamat tribesmen detained under the South Darfur emergency measures last month were transferred from Nyala to Port Sudan on Saturday.

The tribesmen were held in late February, a week after renewed clashes claimed 25 lives.

Salamat Omda Idris Saeed told Radio Dabanga from Rahad El Berdi that he welcomed the decision by South Darfur Governor Adam El Faki to arrest the 84 tribal leaders and fighters. “Since the arrest of the militant leaders and the fighters, no incidents of armed conflict or livestock theft have been reported in Tullus and Buram localities.”

The omda appealed to the other governors and native administration leaders in Darfur “to do as the Governor of South Darfur did”.

He further called on the South Darfur authorities to push for reconciliation between the Salamat and the Taisha, “as the dialogue between the two tribes has continued now for two years without a tangible result, and the Salamat families who fled the tribal fighting in Rahad El Berdi locality three years ago, want to return home”.

In early 2014, Rahad El Berdi tribal leaders demanded the closure of the military training camps for young tribesmen in South Darfur, after the area witnessed extremely fierce clashes between Salamat, Misseriya and Taisha tribesmen.

The delegations further requested the Ministers of Defence and Interior Affairs to expel the Chadian commander of the joint military force of Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic (CAR) who they accuse of “interfering in the affairs of Sudan”.

The South Darfur authorities imposed a number of emergency measures in July 2014, in an attempt to curb the increasing lawlessness in the state. An Emergency Court was established in August, to speedily try offenders of the measures that banned unregistered vehicles, the carrying of weapons by civilians, the wearing of a turban covering the face (kadamool), and riding a motorcycle by more than one person.

Earlier this month, security forces forcefully disarmed members of the Salamat and Fellata tribes in Tullus and Buram localities, South Darfur. Most weapons were seized from cattle herders.

People accused or convicted for heavy crimes in Darfur are often deported to a Port Sudan prison, to prevent attempts by relatives or comrades to free them.