Bashir says there are calls for further administrative division in Darfur
April 2, 2016 (KHARTOUM/EL-GINEINA) – Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir Saturday disclosed that some Darfurians have demanded further administrative territorial division in the region.
Bashir, who addressed a large crowed in West Darfur capital, El-Gineina Saturday, said that Darfur used to be one region with its capital in El-Fasher but the residents in remote areas demanded the division of the region into three states, noting that two more states have been added for similar reasons.
“Now there are demands to add more states”, he said without giving details
He said that the residents would enjoy absolute freedom to choose between the two administrative options.
“If you choose to return to the single region we will turn the government premises [in West Darfur state] into a hospital,” he said.
The Sudanese President renewed his government’s determination to disarm tribal militias, saying they would collect the weapons voluntarily in exchange for financial compensation before confiscating it by the force of law at a later stage.
He said that people don’t need to bear arms because the government has enough regular forces including the police, army, security, popular defence and the rapid support.
Bashir said that West Darfur state is free of insurgency and tribal conflicts, pointing that security and development are two faces of the same coin.
“If we have security, we will have development … if we lose security, we will lose development,” he said.
For his part, the governor of Darfur state Khalil Abdallah stressed the need for federal decrees to disarm civilians, support the regular forces, promote the rule of law and reform the traditional administration.
STABILITY AND SECURITY IN DARFUR
Meanwhile, the head of Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) al-Tijani al-Sissi said the region is witnessing an unprecedented era of stability.
He said that the domestic highways which connect major towns in Darfur were closed due to the security breakdown when they arrived in the region following the signing of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).
Al-Sissi pointed that the DDPD has largely contributed to the current state of security, stability, development and services in Darfur, saying the DRA began to implemented 622 development projects in the various counties in the region.
He underscored that the DDPD has been implemented “item by item” despite the challenges that faced Sudan and Darfur.
The DRA chief also denied rumors that the administrative referendum would lead to the secession of Darfur, saying the region is the origin of Sudan.
The DDPD was signed on 11 July 2011 between the Sudanese government and and the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) of al-Sissi. A splinter faction from Justice and Equality Movement led by Bakheit Abdel- Karim Dabajo (JEM-Dabajo) joined the deal in April 2013.
(ST)