The native administration can only disarm militias

Editorial, The Sudan Vision

KHARTOUM, Aug. 12, 2004 — When the colonialist left the Sudan by late 1955. Despite being colonizers, the British had managed to perpetuate their rule through the involvement of the indigenous population to administer their own people through the native administration system. In case of conflicts, the chiefs or umdas used to be powerful and respected.

The system of native administration had continued to be in the Sudan until the early eighties scoring successes in various human domain issues; and tribal conflicts arising from social matters to grazing lands and water.

The collapse of the native administration in the Sudan has led to the escalation of conflicts among tribes and communities which have lived together for decades. During the native administration era, collection of fire arms from unauthorized persons was accomplished without difficulties.

The culprits were identified and reported to the chiefs on spot. Those illegal possessors of arms use to surrender their arms to the chiefs, and in turn they were compensated for their cooperation.

Those who refused to surrender their fire arms were motivated to do so by selling their guns to the native administration and recruitment into the police forces. The situation today in Darfur requires the revival of the native administration.

The government alone cannot be effective to do this job of disarming any armed groups without causing damage.

The announcement from the President Personal Representative to Darfur Interior Minister, Major General Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein, calling for the prompt immediate restoration of native administration in Darfur states is timely.

He has properly diagnosed the Darfur issue on the security aspects and has prescribed the correct medicine being the native administration. All efforts from the central government should be geared towards that direction.

Technical committees needed to be set up to evaluate the cost of each gun in the hands of any armed grouping Darfur. To motivate them lay down their arms with full assurance of absorption into the organized forces, or other institutions where they can earn a living.

The international community as well should assist the government through making available compensation funds to the armed groups after handling over their fire arms.

Unless we involve the native administration in the disarming of armed groups, we cannot expect good results in the short or long period to come.”