Police return to North Darfur’s Kutum after years

The authorities of Kutum have started to implement a plan to restore the rule of law and to rebuild the basic infrastructure and facilities in the locality.

The Commissioner of Kutum locality, Dr Adam Awadelkarim Terab said in an interview with Radio Dabanga on Friday, that almost all service facilities in the locality have been destroyed by the war.

The priority lies with the restoration of the rule of law, he said. “The police have already begun their work, using army offices in the locality.”

The Commissioner appealed via Radio Dabanga to “all community leaders and other stakeholders of Kutum and El Waha localities” to participate in a broad conference to discuss ways to reach peaceful coexistence and repair the social fabric, “to be held soon”.

“Educational institutions have been the most affected by the war.” 

Terab further pointed out that extra water wells will be dug in cooperation with the Darfur Regional Authority to avoid expected water shortages, “especially during the summer months of April and May.

“Educational institutions have been the most affected by the war,” he stated. “Next year, we plan to build three technical schools in Kutum and Fata Borno, and appoint 500 extra teachers.”

Regarding health services, he said that the area between El Tina locality in the northwest and the North Darfur capital of El Fasher currently has to make do with the rural Kutum Hospital. “Moreover the locality faces a severe shortage of medical specialists, especially in the field of gynaecology and radiology.”

On Wednesday, the Governor of North Darfur, Abdelwahid Yousef, visited Kutum locality for the first time since he was appointed in May. He pledged to extend the rule of law in all localities of the state.