Darfur governor calls to pass law giving him control over security forces

May 3, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – Minni Minnawi Darfur governor, on Tuesday, renewed calls to pass the Darfur regional governance law enabling him to oversee the security and military operating in the troubled region.

On May 2, 2021, Minnawi was appointed a governor of the western Sudan region in line with the peace agreement however the transitional government did not pass a law determining his powers and functions.

The draft law was endorsed by the cabinet on July 27, 2021, but it was not passed by the joint meeting of the government and the Sovereign Council, until the coup of October 25.

Speaking at a function held at his residence in Omdurman on Tuesday,  Minnawi pointed to the security situation in West Darfur saying they cannot be blamed for not ending the violence because legally he has no power to intervene.

He further said that it is necessary to expedite the approval of the Darfur Regional Law and to give the regional government the power to control the various regular forces.

“The Sovereign Council, all the government and the parties to the peace must expedite the passage of the Darfur governance law and hand over the entire security sector to the regional government so that we can prevent any further massacres,” he said.

Last week, Minawi criticized the security services in Darfur, accusing them of “complicity and slowness, or participation” in the bloody attacks in West Darfur.

According to West Darfur state officials, he had also requested to replace the Rapid Support Forces deployed in the region with security forces from outside the state pointing out that the RSF Arabs elements participated with their weapons in the tribal raids on the Massalit.

Some 201 people were killed during the intercommunal attacks in Kereneik locality, 80 km east of Geneina, the state capital.

Mohamed Hamden Daglo aka Hemetti who was also present at Minnawi house pledged to hold accountable all the perpetrators of the attacks including the RSF elements.

Hemetti also spoke about the lack of trust between the security forces and the armed groups, signatory of the Juba peace agreement.

“Let us say it frankly, the army and the armed groups do not trust each other, and there must be trust between all parties to implement security arrangements,” he said.

(ST)