Agreement on regional governance for Sudan’s Darfur

An agreement has reportedly been finalised on the appointment of a governor for Sudan’s Darfur, as stipulated by the Juba Peace Agreement. Regional governance has previously existed, and the topic has been back on the table since the signing of the peace deal.

Mohamed El Taayshi, member of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council and chair of the High Committee preparing the General Conference on the System of Governance in Sudan, reported an agreement on a governor for the Darfur region.

His executive duties will begin with the establishment of the Darfur General Conference.

In his address to the eighth meeting of the Executive Committee of the conference, held yesterday at the Ministry of Federal Governance in Khartoum, El Taayshi said that the Juba Peace Agreement stipulates regional governance for Darfur in the case that the agreed conference on the governance system is not held within six months after the agreement. The deadline is May 3.

Returning to a regional system of governance requires structures and authorities be appointed and put in place at all levels of governance. However, the absence of these elements does not limit the right to political governance and does not need to prevent the continuation of the conference’s preparations, El Taayshi said.

He called for more preparations for technical workshops and state consultations for the General Conference and revealed that the conference received generous financial support from an international peace partner.

The five Darfur states are now governed on both individual state level and on federal level.

Darfur news

In North Darfur, a fire broke out in the area of Kangara near Tabit in Tawila locality. At least 30 houses have been burned to the ground.

Activist Adam Okar told Radio Dabanga that the fire caused the death of a large number of livestock animals and led to great property losses. He called on the state government, federal government, and humanitarian organisations to urgently intervene to provide relief to those affected by the fire.

The head of the UN Children Agency (UNICEF) in East and South Darfur, Anthony Spalton, reported a substantial lack of health services and a complete absence of health education in villages located on the Jebel Marra mountains. The lack of these services caused high rates of malnutrition.

In a press statement, Spalton said that he was “shocked” by the number of women suffering from Spina Bifida, a condition that can be greatly reduced if pregnant women receive essential supplements.

He explained that previous restrictions on the movement of aid workers and logistical challenges created the lack of access to a large number of villages in Jebel Marra.

Spalton emphasised the urgent need to provide help in places where there are no services at all. He pointed at the humanitarian services in camps for the displaced on the outskirts of Darfur towns and said that relief organisations, including UNICEF, managed to reach some of the villages for the first time after more than a decade.

He further stressed the urgent need for assistance to thousands of Jebel Marra residents who are still seeking refuge in the mountains.