Amara (AsiaNews) Tribal leaders in the city of Amara have signed a pact in a bid to guarantee more security and stability in southern Iraq, giving a helping hand to fledging security forces. The agreement is the first to be signed by Arab tribal leaders in the country since the beginning of the war in 2003. It follows the withdrawal of Japanese troops from Missan province, which Amara is the capital of.
The internet site of an Iraqi daily, Azzaman, said the main point of the 'solidarity deal' was the commitment of the parties to free the province from unauthorized armed groups and to back the local fledging security forces in a bid to restore law and order. The pact even includes paragraphs under which signatories violating its terms will be liable for fines and unspecified "penalties".
Iraqi tribal leaders, largely Sunnis, play key roles in their areas and wield considerable political authority, but analysts say they have rarely shown such a degree of solidarity.
The pact of the Amara chiefs comes at a time of an upsurge in violence in the province. Residents say "strange elements" have infiltrated the province and are spreading terror and fear. Vehicles and passengers travelling provincial roads are frequently attacked and robbed. Attacks targeting Iraqi police and armed forces have increased in recent weeks.
However, experts on the Iraqi situation have warned it would prove difficult for Amara's tribal chiefs to harness their efforts to reach a shared goal: disputes on matters of land and local authority are common among them, to say nothing of internal rivalries within each tribe.
