Hundreds of IDPs return to South Darfur: official

December 23, 2017 (NYALA) – Dozens of displaced families have returned voluntarily from North Darfur State to Al-Wihda County in South Darfur State, said county commissioner Mohamed Adam Jaber

Jaber said more than 1046 families have returned from Shangil Tobaya in North Darfur to 15 villages in the Al-Wihda County, pointing the returnees became convinced that the security situation is stable following the imposition of the state authority.

He added the security organs managed to restore the situation to normal especially after the large deployment of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the area.

The commissioner pointed out that all motorcycles have been confiscated as they constitute the major means of committing crimes in the state.

Jaber further appealed to foreign and national aid groups to move urgently to meet the demands of the returnees in order to encourage them to permanently settle in their villages.

For several years, the government sought to dismantle IDPs camps that have been established in areas around the capitals of Darfur’s five states after the eruption of the armed conflict in the region.

Since the signing of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur in July 2011, the government constructed several villages and vowed to support IDPs who return to their home areas.

However, the displaced complain that the security situation remains the same pointing to the government militia saying they continue to attack them and grab their land.

UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in Darfur conflict since 2003, and over 2.5 million are displaced.

(ST)