Fur and Rizeigat leaders sign peace deal in South Darfur

12/10/2010 11:23

Leaders of the Rizeigat and Fur tribes signed a peace agreement on Sunday in Nyala, in the presence of the governor of South Darfur. The deal will commit two tribes to “peaceful coexistence and easing years of ethnic tensions,” said a statement yesterday by the UN – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). The ceremony was attended by representatives of the native administration and humanitarian groups. UNAMID, which was represented at the ceremony, said that leaders of the two tribes “voiced hope that this agreement would inspire tolerance and encourage unity and stability in the troubled region. They also made the commitment to disseminate the signed document to their respective communities through a joint task force.” The significance of this deal remains to be seen. Members of the Fur tribe are considered chief instigators of the rebellion. However, the armed opposition movements are not necessarily loyal to tribal leaders. Moreover, the tribe’s leadership is divided. For instance, one Fur leader, the shartai of Dar Yara in South Darfur, told Radio Dabanga in early September that he refused a plea by the governor to leave the rebellion and said he was staying with the Sudan Liberation Army of Abdel Wahid Al Nur.

Leaders of the Rizeigat and Fur tribes signed a peace agreement on Sunday in Nyala, in the presence of the governor of South Darfur. The deal will commit two tribes to “peaceful coexistence and easing years of ethnic tensions,” said a statement yesterday by the UN – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). The ceremony was attended by representatives of the native administration and humanitarian groups.

UNAMID, which was represented at the ceremony, said that leaders of the two tribes “voiced hope that this agreement would inspire tolerance and encourage unity and stability in the troubled region. They also made the commitment to disseminate the signed document to their respective communities through a joint task force.”

The significance of this deal remains to be seen. Members of the Fur tribe are considered chief instigators of the rebellion. However, the armed opposition movements are not necessarily loyal to tribal leaders. Moreover, the tribe’s leadership is divided. For instance, one Fur leader, the shartai of Dar Yara in South Darfur, told Radio Dabanga in early September that he refused a plea by the governor to leave the rebellion and said he was staying with the Sudan Liberation Army of Abdel Wahid Al Nur.

Photo: Arab nomads in Regel El Kubri West Darfur (UN Photo)