EU vows to support voluntary return projects in Darfur
August 5, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – Darfur Commission for Voluntary Return and Resettlement (CVRR) has briefed the European Union (EU) delegation to Sudan on its ongoing projects, programmes and future plans.
CVRR commissioner, Taj al-din Ibrahim al-Tahir, on Sunday met with the head of political, press and information section at the EU delegation in Khartoum Nadia Lichtenberger.
Al-Tahir told the official news agency SUNA that the meeting discussed voluntary return programmes and how could the EU contribute to the CVRR projects.
He added the meeting also discussed the role of international community in supporting the development projects in Darfur as well as extending the services to host communities and nomads gathering areas.
For her part, Lichtenberger thanked the commissioner and praised the CVRR plans, saying it is in line with the United Nations vision regarding the sustainable solutions for IDPs and refugees.
She also expressed readiness to cooperate with the CVRR to ensure the success of the voluntary return programmes and contribute to sustainable development projects in the voluntary return villages and towns.
Last June, Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Ahmed Mohamed Adam stated that the government has no plan to forcibly evicting the IDPs camps, but has set a number of options for IDPs, including resettlement in the area where they are, or in another area according to their desire.
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, IDPs representatives in several camps say they refuse to return to their areas before the disarmament of the armed militias and the evacuation of their land from the newcomers.
In a report released on 5 February, UNOCHA estimates there are about 386,000 returnees in Sudan conflict areas including Darfur and the Two Areas.
The Sudanese army has been fighting a group of armed movements in Darfur since 2003. UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in the conflict, and over 2.5 million were displaced.
(ST)