President swears in executive body and new Darfur governors

President Omar al Bashir yesterday officially swore in the executive body and the new Darfur state governors to the Darfur Regional Authority. He said they now need to fully enforce the Doha Peace agreement and work to address all the issues in Darfur. These include working to establish partnerships between the different parties, as well as providing security for refugees to return to their villages and achieving reconciliation. However, a humanitarian coordinator at Kalma displaced persons camp in South Darfur sharply criticized the new division of states and appointment of governors. The coordinator told Radio Dabanga that the problems of Darfur are not solved by new appointments and mandates because there is a major humanitarian crisis at the hands of this government and its militias. He called on the government to issue decrees to end tangible problems such as high commodity prices instead of dividing states and creating new positions. And yet a citizen from Gereida in South Darfur welcomed the new mandates and told Radio Dabanga he thanks the government for appointing Tijani Sissi as President of the Darfur Regional Authority and the division of the states as it will widen opportunities to accommodate the largest possible number of people. He called for the government and armed movements to stop fighting in Darfur immediately and negotiate to end the suffering of the citizens, which has been endured for nine years.