Two feuding families in Aswan reached a government brokered truce on Saturday that would put an end to tensions that last week escalated with the deaths of two members of the Daboudia tribe.
State-run Al-Ahram reported the truce, which came two days after a resurgence of violence, was mediated by a local governor and security and military officials.
On Saturday, security officials announced the arrest of 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 testimonies indicated their implication in the crimes.
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb formed the reconciliation committee after conducting a dialogue session in Aswan on 12 April in the aftermath of the clashes that erupted on the 4 April. Previous reconciliation efforts and police intervention had failed to quell the tribal bloodshed, however, the two parties eventually agreed to a three day truce ahead of Al-Tayeb’s visit to the southern governorate.
The Arab Bani Hilal tribe and the Nubian Daboudia tribe began fighting after an incident concerning sexual harassment. The ensuing violence extended over days, as peace talks devolved into gunfights.
The first few days of violence resulted in 23 deaths, with two more added to the toll when clashes renewed after a temporary lull in the fighting. The final victim died in the hospital as a result of injuries.
A number of houses were also burned in the aftermath.
Feuding families reach government brokered truce in Aswan
