(AFP PHOTO / RADWAN EL-NAJAR)
Security officials in Aswan have arrested two men responsible for Thursday’s clashes in Aswan that threatened to undo a three-month old truce between the feuding Bani Hilal and Daboudia tribes.
According to state TV, Aswan’s Director of Security General Hassan Al-Sohagy said the men from the Bani Hilal tribe were arrested and charged with murdering two of the Daboudia tribe.
Al-Sohagy said the men were arrested after eyewitness testimony indicated their responsibility in the crimes.
The murders occurred on Thursday, when a house was torched leading to the deaths, which came three months after the two clans signed an Al-Azhar backed truce.
The Ministry of Interior denied that the recent violence was related to the previous troubles between the clans. Aswan governor Mostafa Yousry said that Thursday’s violence was “just an incident that is being contained”.
In early April Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb, Minister of Interior Mohamed Ibrahim and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb travelled to Aswan to broker a truce to the tribal clashes that left 26 dead and dozens more injured.
The clashes allegedly started after a fight broke out between two students on 2 April because of sexual harassment, although the details remain unclear.
In the aftermath, tensions spiralled out of control, leading to gun battles.
Previous, unmediated peace talks between the clans devolved into an argument then a gun battle, leading to four deaths and nine injuries. A number of houses were also been burned.
