Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb will oversee the reconciliation dialogue between the Daboudya and Bani Hilal tribes in Aswan, as a recently announced truce temporarily ended violence that has left at least 25 dead.
Al-Ahram reported Tuesday that investigations into the violence are also underway as the prosecutor general travelled to Aswan Tuesday to directly oversee the investigations.
According to Aswat Masriya, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb told the two clans that some individuals are attempting to bring chaos to Egypt, and asserted that “the law will be applied firmly to everyone, without hesitation”.
Mehleb assured the tribes that an independent fact finding commission would be arranged to bring the perpetrators to justice.
This announcement came on the heels of a Nubian protest outside the Press Syndicate in Cairo demanding accountability for the crimes. The protesters threatened to boycott the upcoming elections unless their demands are met.
The protesters also demanded the resignation of the entire governorate leadership as well as that of Minister of Interior Mohamed Ibrahim.
Ibrahim, meanwhile, called for the disarmament of the two feuding tribes. A number of those killed, according to a medical examiner, were shot down with live ammunition.
The clashes, which left at least 25 dead in three days, erupted after an alleged fight between two students on 2 April. Although the events surrounding the incident remain unclear, the fight allegedly started because of sexual harassment.
On Saturday the Ministry of Interior sent reinforcements to quell the ongoing bloodshed as Defence Minister Sedki Sohbi convened a meeting of security heads to discuss possible action in the Upper Egypt village. Sohbi also ordered all injured to be treated in army hospitals.
Army spokesman Colonel Ahmed Ali released a statement Saturday claiming that there were “signs of the involvement of elements of the Muslim Brotherhood in the strife between the two tribes”.
Prior reconciliation, attempted on Friday, devolved into an argument, the interior ministry reported. Gunfire broke out, leading to four deaths and nine injuries. A number of houses have also been burned.
