The dust road leading from Al Mazroob to Um Suona has been wiped away. It has been a year since the Government of Sudan, with the support of the local Ma’alia tribe, launched an offensive to recover the area from the Minni Minawi faction of the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA/MM). Despite both parties have signed the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), tensions remain high in the eastern part of South Darfur. Following up on the movement of civilians, a joint UNMIS-UNAMID mission took off only to find deserted villages in the midst of the tension.

On the 17th of February, the two-car UN convoy transporting members from both UN missions lost their way to Labado. While asking camel riders for directions, the team was confronted by a group of angry Abala Reizegat who announced their intention to attack the city. The men, mainly young and armed, explained that one of their sons had been arrested. Members of the SLA/MM had seized him the day before as he was riding back from the Labado market. The UN team negotiated to allow them to consult the SLA authorities on the matter and promised to report back to the family.

Such incidents are common in the area, where tribal groups travel around with arms. Conscious of the risks, the local authorities of Labado decided to release the man, who had been arrested for drug smuggling.

During a second meeting a few days later, the team learned that the tribe Abala Rezeigat had been compensated for the loss of a camel. The threat of an attack must have been taken seriously for the SLA/MM to have paid any compensation. The former rebel movement controls the land east of Nyala up to Muhadjeria. It used to extend its authority further south. All of this was before last year’s offensive by the Sudanese armed forces, which started in January and ended in August.

The main purpose of the joint UN Mission was to look into the presence of civilians in the numerous villages located south east of Muhadjeria. Driving through the deserted roads, the team witnessed that the population, mainly from Zaghawa, had not returned after the offensive. Instead, they moved towards Muhadjeria, where the displaced had received protection from fellow Zaghawa members of the SLA/MM. In the abandoned villages, burnt wooden poles still stand where huts were once erected; derelict water pumps and broken pottery are signs of a life that was suddenly interrupted, and never came back.

Further South, Ma’alia residents interviewed in the Al Mazroob locality (south east of Muhadjeria), said “Under the rebel authority, names changed but faces remained the same. It was SLA/MM until the DPA [April 2006].” “The same people later called themselves JEM (Justice and Equality Movement), then NRF (National Redemption Front), then SLA Unity (across political and tribal divisions). Before they left, the services in town were poor – the school was under the care of volunteers, the hospital closed down, and the water was scarce.”

Ma’alia traditional authorities who met in Kile Kile (East of Muhadjeria) on the 18th of February repeated shared the tribe’s opinion. Agitated men, carrying weapons, accused: “The SLA/MM is responsible for the insecurity in the area. They have attacked and plundered Kile Kile many times since 2004. The situation became worse after the DPA, when they started illegal taxation.” Pick-up trucks came and went throughout the interview. The meeting ended abruptly after a Sheikh claimed that urgent matters needed to be attended.

Such political, territorial and tribal disputes have created a feeling of insecurity in different areas of Darfur. To give the stumbling peace a chance, the UN/AU Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has taken over from the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS). Since the start of its operations in January 2008, the civilian and military components of UNAMID have been reaching out to all the parties involved in order to contribute to the protection of the civilian population.