Rival tribes reach settlement after weeks of unrest in Sarih

AMMAN — After four weeks of turbulence in Sarih, in Irbid, the tribes of Athamneh and Shyyab on Thursday reached a tribal agreement to end hostilities, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The clashes started in early May, following an argument between neighbours over vehicle parking. The argument turned violent and escalated, leading to an attack on a local hospital and private property, in which wooden sticks, rocks and live ammunition were used. The May clashes left one person dead and four injured.

Notables of Sarih and Irbid, 80km north of Amman, went to the Shyyab tribe’s diwan (tribal gathering place), where the Shyyab tribe accepted a settlement which acknowledged the killing of their son by the Athamneh tribe.

Quteibah Shyyab, a 45-year-old engineer, was shot and killed while at a hospital checking on people injured during a fight between the two tribes in the town of Sarih.

The pact stipulated that the Shyyab tribe will not oppose the return of any of the family members that were banished from Sarih after the incident. However, it did not contain any other conditions until the concerned courts issue their final verdicts into the incidents. 

The notables then went to the Athamneh tribe’s diwan, where a similar tribal agreement was signed, this time acknowledging the killing of their son, Ali Athamneh, 51, who was shot and killed last week, while sitting in front of his house. 

The killing happened following a heated argument with a group of men, believed to be relatives of Quteibah Shyyab, according to officials. 

The second tribal agreement also did not contain any further conditions. Instead, the two tribes have committed to engaging with the state’s legal process, according to Petra.

 Attending both diwans, former prime minister Abdur-Rau’f Rawabdeh commended the “positive attitude” that facilitated the tribal agreements, noting that they appeal to the judicial system to aid in restoring security and calm to Sarih.