UN steps in to resolve Kuchi-Hazara dispute

The United Nations Deputy Special Envoy Nicholas Haysom has arrived in the capital of central Maidan Wardak province to broker peace between warring Hazara and Kuchi tribes, an official said on Wednesday.
The two tribes have long been fighting due to a lingering dispute over a meadow and other properties in the Behsud district. Several people from both sides have been killed and wounded in the clashes.

Haysom spent the entire day on Tuesday meeting senior government officials, including the governor, and representatives of the two tribes in Maidan Shahr, the governor’s spokesman said.

Shahidullah Shahid added Governor Mohammad Halim Fidae told the visiting delegation that the issue was legal and it had to be resolved the justice department. He said his administration had been able to prevent the conflict from spreading to other parts.

The clashes had been confined to a small valley and a third party had been created to meditate between the tribes, Fidae told the delegation, including senior United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) officials.
“Having made several recommendations to the central government on how to resolve the conflict, we are hopeful the tribes would endorse our proposals,” Shahid quoted the governor as saying.

Fidae said they had set up a 13-member commission to resolve disputes among tribes and address the issue between Hazaras and Kuchis. The visiting UN team also held separate meetings with representatives of Hazara and Kuchi communities, Shahid said.

A Kuchi elder, Haji Khan Zaman, told Pajhwok the UN delegation asked him about reasons for the conflict and what was the resolution but the delegates did not pledge any assistance.
He added they promised to take up the issue with high officials and present proposals to the government for an amicable solution.

The problem was not that nettlesome, but a neighbouring country was fuelling it, alleged the Kuchi elder, who said the disputed pasture that traditionally belonged to the tribe was the main bone of contention. Hazara tribesmen had barred them from using the land, he added.
A Hazara representative, Sultan Hussainzoy, believed the dispute could be resolved easily if outside interference was stopped. He said he had floated his proposals to the UN team on how to address the problem. He thought the issue could be settled if Kuchis were granted land elsewhere by the government.
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