Sudan president tries to get refugees to return from Chad
KHARTOUM, Feb 4 (AFP) — Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir is trying to get tens of thousands of refugees in Chad to return to Sudan’s western Darfur region now that government troops have won key victories over the rebels, a newspaper reported Wednesday.
Bashir has ordered the government refugees commission to conclude a deal with the UN refugee agency and the Chadian government for the voluntary return of the refugees as soon as possible, Akhbar Al Youm daily reported.
The daily quoted the chairman of a government committee on Darfur, Sherif Ahmed Badr, as saying Bashir has instructed the refugees commission to immediately travel to Chad to inspect the conditions of the refugees.
More than 100,000 Sudanese are estimated to have fled western Sudan because of the rebellion that erupted a year ago over the Darfur region’s alleged economic neglect by the government.
Some 670,000 have also been displaced within Sudan itself by the war pitting government troops and their Arab militia allies against rebels drawn mainly from the region’s non-Arab minorities.
Reporting from Al Ginaina, the paper quoted West Darfur State Governor Major General Suleiman Abdallah Adam as saying that his state’s government is arranging for the voluntary return of those who fled their villages as “security has prevailed due to the victories scored by the army and other regular forces” over the rebels.
Adam said his state is now working for the formation of joint forces of the popular defence and tribal fighters to “assume the responsibilities of maintaining security and stability in different parts of the state.”
The move is part of efforts by his state for “achieving social peace and tribal reconciliation,” said the governor, without naming those tribes and without saying whether tribal militias would be involved.
Adam admitted “acts of insecurity” had occurred in Jebel Marrah and Wadi Salih areas, but that they could be dealt with “easily.”
The governor said his state is not experiencing any military operations at present, “despite insignificant rebel activities which the (government) forces are capable of crushing.”
He said the state authorities are now busy with the ministry of humanitarian affairs in providing humanitarian assistance to people in Kulbus, Morni, Wadi Salih and other towns and localities affected by the conflict.
Reporting from Al Fashir, Akhbar Al Youm said North Darfur State Governor Osman Yousuf Kibir has also been busy with his aides on measures to secure Al Fashir and other state towns during the Eid Al Adha holiday.
The security committee ascertained that the security situation was stable all over the state during the past few days, Kibir said, noting that “security violations” used to occur during such holidays in the past.
He confirmed the existence of cooperation between the authorities in Sudan and Chad for defending the common borders.
The government blames the rebels for the breakdown of a truce concluded with the help of neighbouring Chad.
Chadian President Idriss Deby said on Friday that his government was to make another attempt to bring peace to the troubled region, after earlier peace talks mediated by Ndjamena collapsed on Dec. 16.