The Dar Masalit Sultanate has rejected remarks by Revolutionary Awakening Council leader and Mahamid tribal chief Musa Hilal Abdullah concerning the origins of the Masalit and several other Sudanese communities with cross-border ties to Chad.
Hilal, speaking to supporters at an event attended by Sudanese army chief of staff Yasser al-Atta, said groups from several tribes, including the Masalit, had moved into Sudan during the 1980s following waves of drought that affected the region.
In a statement, the Dar Masalit Sultanate, led by Sultan Saad Abdelrahman Bahr el-Din Abkar, said the Masalit had lived on their land since ancient times.
The statement said Dar Masalit had historically existed as an independent sultanate with its own administrative and judicial system, defined borders and treaties before becoming incorporated into Sudan.
It warned that comments questioning the historical roots of communities could inflame tribal rhetoric and deepen divisions at a time when Sudan is already engulfed in war.
The Sultanate called on Hilal to apologise to the Masalit and warned against exploiting questions of tribal identity for political or military purposes.
Hilal later issued a clarification, saying his remarks had been taken out of context.
He said he had been referring to longstanding family and demographic links between communities living on both sides of the Sudan-Chad border, rather than questioning the Sudanese identity or historical presence of the tribes he mentioned.
Hilal said the Masalit, Rizeigat, Beni Halba, Bornu, Salamat, Borgo, Tama, Misseriya and Zaghawa were all indigenous Sudanese communities with deep historical roots in the country.
He added that his remarks had been directed specifically at the Dagalo family.
Hilal said his criticism was aimed at what he described as the actions of the Rapid Support Forces and its allies, rather than at any particular tribe.
He also called for Sudanese unity, rejection of tribal incitement and the preservation of peaceful coexistence among the country’s communities.
