Tabu and Awlad Suleiman tribes from Libya’s Sabha signed a comprehensive reconciliation agreement in the Italian capital of Rome on Wednesday to end tension between the two warring tribes.
The deal was brokered by the Italian government and the UN-proposed Presidency Council and was sponsored by the Community of Sant'Egidio.
The two southern tribes agreed to end fighting permanently, pay compensation to the people affected by the fighting and free all state buildings from armed groups.
“Criminals will be stripped from social cover and will be handed over to justice,” the agreement reads.
According to the agreement, the Italian government will pay the compensation to the affected people from both tribes.
They also agreed to form a joint committee to monitor implementation of the agreement and work together for reopening Sabha’s Taminhint Airport.
The reconciliation agreement has drawn mixed reactions from the Arab and Tabu tribes. Sabha mayor Hamad Al-Khayali hailed the agreement and welcomed all efforts that unite Libyans. Tabu tribal leader Adam Dazi said Tabu leaders have no idea about this agreement, saying it should have been an inclusive Libyan one.
In November 2015, Qatar brokered a reconciliation deal between the tribes of Tuareg and Tebu in Doha.
Sabha is inhabited by a number of tribes including Tuareg, Tabu, Gadadfa, Magarha and Awlad Suleiman. Relations between them are distant and usually strained. In November 2016, a monkey sparked deadly clashes between Awlad Sulaiman and Gadadfa tribes leaving several people dead and others wounded.
