‘Meet our conditions’

Darfuri refugees refuse to consider voluntary return to their homes unless their demands are metSecurity and other crucial developmental preconditions must be met before campaigning for voluntary return of Darfuri refugees to their homes, coordinator of the North Darfur camps told Radio Dabanga on Tuesday.Some of the issues brought forth by the coordinator were disarmament of the government-backed Janjaweed militia, expulsion of new settlers in the land, individual and collective compensation.“Basic services should also be provided to the refugees who want to return,” he said adding that bringing perpetrators of crimes in Darfur to justice remained one of their major concerns.The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir, South Kordofan governor Ahmed Harun and Ali Kushayb, former Janjaweed commander for crimes against humanity in the Darfur crisis.’Talks are a propaganda tool’Meanwhile, leaders from North, South and West Darfur refugee camps described the talks of voluntary return by the Sudanese government and the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) as a propaganda tool.The Sudanese government and its ally the LJM have been encouraging voluntary return of Darfuri refugees to their homes as part of the implementation of the Doha peace agreement.The Doha peace agreement was signed between the government and the LJM in July this year.“It is all a lie and propaganda used to gather money from international, regional, Arab and Islamic supporters. The authorities will not provide any of it to the displaced people,” one of the camp leaders told Radio Dabanga.He added, “The aim of the Doha document is to dismantle camps across Darfur. The refugees however feel that the places they came from are not home to them unless their preconditions are met.”