‘Darfur referendum requires review of federal system’: govt. official

The coming Darfur referendum requires a 'thorough review' of the Sudanese federal system, according to Mustafa Osman Ismail, head of the National Congress Party's Political Bureau.

The Doha document for Peace in Darfur, signed by the Sudanese government and the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) in Qatar in July 2011, set out that the permanent administrative status of Darfur will be determined by a referendum, to be held within one year after the signing of the peace accord.

Until the referendum has taken place, the governments of the five Darfur states are supposed to be coordinated and supervised by the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA).

During a news conference in Khartoum on Thursday, Ismail said that the referendum will take place in April next year. He however stressed that it should be preceded by an in-depth study of “the nature and implementation” of the Sudanese federal system.

The government official responsible for the Darfur file, Dr Amin Hassan Omar, explained that the term of the DRA was extended for another year in June because of the referendum.

He said that a Darfur Referendum Commission will be formed that will start will the registration of Darfuris for the referendum in November.