Bashir vows to end rebellion, tribal clashes in Darfur
March 22, 2015 (NYALA) – The incumbent president and candidate of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) for Sudan’s presidency, Omer Hassan al-Bashir, has pledged to end rebellion in Darfur and stop the growing state of lawlessness in South Darfur state.
He urged the people of South Darfur to “utter a curse against Satan” the Islamist leader held responsible for causing the current state of war and destruction in the region.
“We did not come to you to ask for your votes, we came to uphold the word of Allah [God] and to stop the bloodshed in Darfur,” he said.
referring to the inter-communal violence in the state, the Sudanese president urged tribes not to hold arms to kill innocent people, saying that guns must be pointed at the enemies of the country.
“You are responsible for making peace and we will take care of all other issues,” he said.
The Salamat and Falata tribes clashed on the same day in Buram, South Darfur where nine people were killed and twenty five others injured.
The Sudanese president also demanded the rebel groups to listen to the voice of reason and return to peace, pointing that peace in Darfur could only be achieved through the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).
Bashir thanked Qatar for the efforts it made to achieve peace in Darfur, saying the DDPD has met all demands of the region and there no longer a need for holding arms except for those who seek to obstruct peace and development.
He vowed to end the war, achieve peace and continue development projects across the region, noting that several development projects have been disrupted due to the war including the Giraida the water project in South Darfur.
“We want to finish the Giraida water project and we want to find a final solution for the water problem across Darfur by digging of wells and building of dams,” he said.
He added they will continue the work in the Al-Inghaz Al-Gharbi road besides extending electricity services to all towns in the region.
Bashir pledged to carry out the rest of the development projects in the coming period, saying he pays special attention to Darfur.
South Darfur state has witnessed a near total security breakdown in recent months with recurrent incidents of looting, banditry and murder including from pro-government militias.
Businessmen and commercial convoys in South Darfur are regularly attacked by armed gangs which demand ransom for their release.
Last July, governor Adam Mahmoud Jar al-Nabi, declared an indefinite emergency situation in South Darfur state, including a curfew from 7pm to 7am (local time) in the capital Nyala.
The decision also banned riding of motorcycles by more than one person, holding weapons while wearing civilian clothes, vehicles driving around without license plates, and wearing a kadamool (turban which covers the face).
It also prohibited tinted glasses on cars in Nyala even for government officials unless permission is being obtained from the traffic police. The decision further prevented firing of gunshots in social events in Nyala.
(ST)