Conflict Management and Resolution Among Beja Pastoralists: Elements and Procedures of the ( Salif) Customary Law

Abstract

Sudan has recently been plagued with conflicts, particularly in pastoral areas, mostly due to competition over resources. Many of these conflicts have developed into civil wars, resulting in the disintegration of the social fabric and disruption of the coexistence among those societies. Peace agreements were signed, reconciliation conferences held and models for conflict transformation tried, but all failed. This paper provides a model for the indigenous patterns of conflict prevention, management and resolution. Despite the scarcity of natural resources, the adverse environmental conditions and the heterogeneity of the inhabitants of Eastern Sudan, the frequency of conflict was the lowest in the country. The main reason seems to be the commitment to the salif (code of behaviour), which constitutes the reference for settling disputes and is the measure for belonging to the group. The merits of the Beja customary system and the reasons for its success in preventing and resolving conflicts is, unlike the formal justice system, its valuing of human life, its preference for compensation as opposed to revenge and retaliation, and its acceptance by all pastoral Beja communities.