UN mission concerned over tribal clashes in Darfur

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The UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan's Darfur region on Monday voiced its grave concern over recent tribal clashes there, a UN spokesman told reporters here.

The United Nations-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur ( UNAMID) "is gravely concerned about the escalation of inter-tribal fighting in some parts of Darfur in the recent weeks," said Martin Nesirky, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, at a daily briefing.

"The Mission has received reports of tribal fighting amongst Misseriya, Taisha and Salamat in different locations in the south- western part of Central Darfur in the past days. The Mission is in the process of verifying the scale of these clashes, including casualties," Nesirky said.

According to the spokesman, UNAMID also reported that on Monday a committee comprising native administration of various tribes and prominent tribal leaders met in Central Darfur, aiming to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the current conflict.

Earlier reports said that tribal militias used rockets, artillery and heavy machine-guns in battle across a wide swathe of southwest Darfur on Sunday.

Tribal conflicts are a major problem the Sudanese government has so far failed to solve despite the inter-tribal reconciliation conferences it held.

The Darfur community consists of different African and Arab tribes, among which unrest frequently erupts due to disputes on pastures and water resources.