Oil explorations in the northern part of East Darfur have been suspended because of tribal conflicts over landownership in the area.
The Chairman of the parliamentary Committee of Economic Affairs, Salem El Safi Hijeir, told the press on Thursday that the oil explorations in the field of Zurga Um Hadeeda, located in the northern part of East Darfur have been stopped by the company because of security reasons. “The Hamar and Ma’aliya tribes are contesting the ownership of the area.”
“The production of oil in Hadeeda field is continuing despite tribal conflicts over the ownership of the field”, Hijeir explained. He announced that a reconciliation conference between the Hamar and Ma’aliya tribes will be convened “in the coming days” on the ownership of the lands in which the Zurga Um Hadeeda field is located.
File photo by H. Sharif