by Nanne op 't Ende
5 October 2007
Fighting between members of the Miseriya and Nuba tribes in the area of Lagawa continued until yesterday. New attempts will be made to end the violence that has made more victims than the 20 people killed in the initial clash om September 29.
A conflict over passage for the Miseriya and their herds through Nuba land is believed to have triggered the violence. This is a frequently returning problem in an area with scarce resources, but strong emotions also play a part.
Many Nuba have bad memories of Miseriya militia fighting along the side of the Government army against Nuba who sympathised with the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) before a seize fire ended official hostilities in 2001.
In turn most Miseriya perceive the SPLA as the party that started fighting in South Kordofan in the late 1990s. The Nuba in the SPLA have always said their struggle was not directed against the Miseriya or any of the other Arab tribes in South Kordofan, but against the Government of Sudan.
So far elders of both communities in Lagawa county have refused to meet in reconciliation. Today will see new efforts at mediation. Meanwhile there have been no reports that the clashes would spill over to other areas.
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