El Fasher — At ceremony at the Presidential House Hall in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, leaders of two Mahriya clans, the Hajaya and Beni Hussein, signed a reconciliation agreement on Monday afternoon, with a view to ending a long-standing era of conflict.

In the document, the two parties agreed to the necessity of turning a new page of peaceful coexistence and unity between the two tribes.

The signing ceremony was attended by the Deputy Secretary-General of the North Darfur government, Eisa Zaroug, the commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the state, Maj Gen Jeddo Ibnshook, under the supervision of the head of the RSF Peace and Reconciliation Committee, Col Mousa Ambelo, and a number of other officials.

In August, the RSF held at least 197 people in a campaign that targeted tribal leaders who refused to partake in RSF-led reconciliation efforts and other activists, teachers, students, and farmers. Several people disappeared.

The reconciliation agreements brokered by Sudan's junta co-leader and RSF commander Gen Mohamed 'Hemeti' Dagalo, in Darfur by have been criticised as being 'superficial' and as not representing the interests of the people.