Darfuris call for postponement of Sudan’s census

March 1, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — National Congress Party leadership in Darfur called for the postponement of the national census in the three states of Darfur urging to exercise efforts to achieve peace in the region first.

The fifth Sudan Population and Housing Census will kicks off from 15th 30th April 2008. It will be the first all inclusive census for people of southern Sudan since Sudan became independence in January 1956.

Ibrahim Suleiman Hassan, a leading member in the ruling NCP and former North Darfur governor that the reasons for the postponement of the census in 2003 are still in place, especially in light of the current security conditions experienced in the Darfur states.

Speaking in a workshop on development and political dimension of the fifth census organized by the Transitional Authority to Darfur recently he added that many of the people of Darfur now distributed between displacement camps and asylum States, which made Darfur free of people.

He pointed out that the April census is useless, and called for the postponement of the process for practical reasons known of all. He further proposed to adopt the census of 1993 taking a population increase during this period into account.

Abu Al-Gassim Seifeddin, another Darfuri delegate, approved the proposal saying that a census now in Darfur is a very difficult task. He pointed out that the security situation deteriorates every day. He added that priority must be given to a peaceful solution through dialogue with the rebel movements and the return of displaced persons and refugees and the normalization of the situation there.

Al-Tigani Mustafa, the head of Darfur MPs bloc in the federal parliament called Darfur Transitional Authority to bring scientific merits supporting its position in favour of the postponement of the census to Darfur, and to make a formal request so.

Shamar Abdallah warned Darfur representative from accepting the census at this time pointing to the danger of this process, which has a lot of political rights, economic and development for the province.

Speakers at the workshop were unanimous on the need to postpone the census for security reasons and natural noting that the fall season at the door, stressing the need to give priority to achieving security and stability and the return of refugees and displaced persons and the normalization of the situation.

Minni Minawi told Sudan Tribune last week that the insecurity in Darfur means that no population census can be conducted and consequently no elections.

“There is no such thing as having a census without security on the ground. There are millions of IDP’s and refugees all over Darfur. At the same time you cannot have elections without Darfur. If you do, then this means that you don’t consider Darfur to be part of Sudan;” he said.

The former rebel leader said that he spoke with the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) on the matter.

“They [SPLM] told me that resolving the issue of Darfur and Abyei is the key to having the general elections in 2009″ Minawi said. However the SPLM made no commitment to postpone the elections if things don’t improve in Darfur.

SPLM OPPOSED TO CENSUS DELAY

However the southern Sudan ruling party (SPLM) said that the delay or postponement of the elections would affect negatively the referendum in southern Sudan, a matter that reject the SPLM and other political forces in the south.

Atem Garang SPLM leading member and deputy speaker of the National Assembly said that run the elections on time without Darfur better than postponing the elections.

He pointing out that the history of the country has already had elections in 56-97 without southern Sudanese because of the outbreak of war wondering “What prevents from running the elections without Darfur” He pointed out that the SPLM rejects any delay or postponement of the elections.

Sudan had already delayed the date of fifth national census from 15th November, 2007 to 2nd February, 2008 because of delays in funding. The national census seen as crucial to the success of democratic elections and a vote on secession for the south.

The census will be the first since a January 2005 peace deal between the National Congress Party (NCP) and the former rebel group, the SPLM, that ended decades of north-south conflict and established the unity government.

(ST)