Native administration leaders need facilitation to fight lawlessness in West Darfur, ask Unamid to ‘shoulder its responsibility’

The native administration leaders of West Darfur on Wednesday signed a “Brotherhood Charter” during a conference organised at the headquarters of the Secretariat of the West Darfur state government. Saad Bahreldin, the Sultan of Dar Massaliet, told Radio Dabanga from El Geneina that the conference included representatives of the native administrations and other authorities in West Darfur. Bahreldin reported that the Conference appealed to West Darfur state to enhance its prestige, to the government authorities and the security forces to play their part through bringing the perpetrators of crimes to justice. He stressed that the Conference also demanded from all native administration members in West Darfur to refrain from providing shelter to outlaws within their tribal territories and instead bring them to justice. The text of the Charter stipulates “enhancement of West Darfur state’s prestige, proper implementation of the rule of law, and the addressing of lawlessness committed by individual members of the native administration.” The Sultan explained that the government has “disregarded the native administrations and reduced their powers” – which had a negative impact on the situation in Darfur. Therefore the native leaders, during the Conference, requested the government to offer them the required aid and facilities in order to play their role in the region. Bahreldin, who is also Chairperson of the Darfur Regional Authority Council criticised Unamid for not playing its required role of providing security to the citizens and protect them, demanding from the UN-AU hybrid mission in Darfur “to shoulder its responsibility.” He added that Unamid was invited to attend the conference but did not attend, nor explained the reason for its non-participation. File photo by Albert Gonzalez Farran/Unamid