A civil alliance representing eastern Sudan has warned of the growing presence of armed tribal militias in the region, saying some groups had received military training in Eritrea in coordination with the Port Sudan authorities loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s SAF.
Mahmoud Taher al-Haj, a member of the Council of Regions and head of the Civil Forces Alliance for Eastern Sudan, said the militias were now active socially inside the region, raising fears that SAF-aligned armed groups could be drawn into local disputes.
Speaking at a press conference in Nyala on Sunday, al-Haj said any involvement by these militias in tribal or civil conflicts in eastern Sudan would deepen the crisis and fuel further violence.
He accused sections of the native administration in eastern Sudan of sidelining lower-level community leadership and politicizing social disputes through the media for political gain.
That politicization, he said, had helped create new conflicts between specific communities and even disputes within the same tribe.
Al-Haj urged young people in eastern Sudan not to be dragged behind politicized tribal leadership, saying youth should instead focus on community awareness, development opportunities and humanitarian work.
He also stressed that eastern Sudan’s communities must be represented in any political talks or settlement process. Any deal that bypasses the east or fails to account for fair representation, he warned, would create new complications, prolong the national crisis and narrow the chances of a comprehensive political solution.
