Darfur lawyers warn of ‘corrupt native administration’

According to the Darfur Bar Association (DBA), the native administration system under the former regime did not represent the real local leaders. “It was only a tool used by ousted President Omar Al Bashir until his last days in power to prevent the escalation of the uprising.”

In a statement on Thursday, the DBA accused native administration leaders of being paid for disseminating disinformation and leading campaigns in support of Al Bashir.

The Darfur lawyers said that the former regime only selected and appointed tribal leaders who supported the government.

“These native administration leaders are re-appearing now during the current political vacuum under the auspices of the military junta,” the DBA states.

The Association considers the native administration leaders’ decision to mandate the Transitional Military Council to form a transitional government a “first step to open the way for the former regime’s components to re-enter the political scene”.

The lawyers further emphasise that the post-sit-in phase requires “a united position among all national forces, especially the Alliance for Freedom and Change and the Sudanese Professionals Association”.

They stressed the need “to restore the constitutional life of the country, based on the Interim Constitution of 1956, including the amendments of 1964 and 1985”, and demanded the military junta to transfer power to a civilian-led government.

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