Difficulties delay payment of war compensations in Darfur
March 6, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – A Darfur Regional Authority (DRA)’s official has disclosed the existence of difficulties delaying the payment of compensations to the war affected persons in the western Sudan region.
“The reparations are enforced through all these proceedings that did not happen. The claims and the investigations require the return to the homeland but the displaced persons and refugees did not return to their villages so far,” Niam said.
The DRA on Sunday said coordinating with the federal ministry of justice to dispatch legal experts to conduct lawsuits for the compensation of damage caused by during the war in Darfur.
The head of DRA voluntary return commission, Azhary Shata told the semi-official SMC that they started the formation at the state-level of committees to participate in the compensation process.
He further said that these teams will undergo intensive legal training to enable them to educate civilians about the proceedings of compensation for damage caused during the 12-year conflict.
The Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) provides that the restitution and compensation for property lost during the war are part of the rehabilitation and reconstruction process in Darfur.
“For this purpose, measures shall be taken to pay compensations to the population of Darfur, address grievances resulting from losses in lives and destruction, seizure or theft of properties as well as the subsequent suffering,” says the DDPD.
The peace framework document further provides that the initial amount of the Compensation Fund for the settlement of compensations shall be $ 300 million out of which the government undertakes to pay $ 200 million and the balance of $ 100 will be sourced from donors.
But Niam said that the government so far has failed to fulfill the required resources to the Compensation Fund and provided only US$ 60 million of the $ 200 million.
“The whole process is going on but the estimations are not yet done and the lists of victims are not released by the DRA voluntary return commission,” he further said.
It worth to mention that the regional authority is tasked with the implementation of the peace document, in line with the framework text. It is chaired by Tijani al-Sissi.
Niam is a member of the Liberation and Justice Party (LJP) led by Bahr Idriss Abu Garda while Shata is a leading figure of National Liberation and Justice Party (NLJP) of al-Sissi
The DDPD was signed on 14 July 2011 by the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) and the Sudanese government
However the former rebel group split in to two political parties before the general elections in 2015.
(ST)