Sudan’s Bashir to dissolve Darfur authority soon: Sissi
July 9, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Former chairman of the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) Tijani al-Sissi said that presidential decrees would be issued soon to end the mandate of the regional body and establish commissions and mechanisms to complete the remaining items of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).
The DRA was established in line with the DDPD, which was signed in July 2011, by the Government of Sudan and former rebel Liberation and Justice Movement, and the Justice and Equality Movement-Dabajo in April 2013.
The regional body had a four-year mandate to implement the framework peace document. However, the DRA term was extended up to July 2016, by a presidential decree in 2015.
On 13 June, the Sudanese government announced the official dissolution of the DRA and Darfur Peace Office, indicating that the implementation of the DDPD.
It said that a general directorate would be established at the presidency to oversee the DRA five commissions.
According to the official news agency (SUNA) Saturday, Sissi expressed full satisfaction with the performance of the DRA, saying several items of the DDPD have been implemented including the establishment of services and development projects despite of the security challenges and tribal conflicts.
He pointed to the significant progress being made in the implementation of the DDPD especially with regard to the security arrangements and voluntary return of the IDPs and refugees.
Sissi praised the cooperation of the governors of Darfur’s five states with the DRA to resolve the security issues and tribal conflicts, stressing the security situation in Darfur has improved due to the significant efforts exerted by the security services, police and the army.
Last April, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared the end of DRA after the conduct of Darfur Administrative Referendum.
Darfur Administrative Referendum results indicated that 97.73 % of the voters have called for keeping the current five states, while 2.28% of the voters called for one region in Darfur.
(ST)