Sudan’s Vice-President inaugurates repatriation projects in West Darfur

Sudan’s first Vice-President, Lt. Gen. Bakri Hassan Saleh, on Sunday called for a responsible dialogue that will lead to national reconciliation. Earlier that day he had attended the inauguration of voluntary repatriation projects in West Darfur. Addressing the celebration of the graduation of the Izzat El Sudan 18th Sudan Armed Forces class in Central Darfur’s capital of Zalingei on Sunday evening, Saleh referred to the national dialogue, proposed by President Al Bashir in January. “When the Sudanese government proposed a national dialogue, it wanted to present options to the people in order to achieve a national consensus.”“Those who think that the dialogue will lead to a split of the country, will discover that they are wrong, as the Sudanese laws will deter all the law breakers”, first Vice-President warned. Saleh reiterated the regime’s keenness to enhance democracy through elections. He urged the people of Darfur to maintain the value of reconciliation, and expressed his appreciation of the efforts exerted by those who are responsible for Izzat El Sudan, and their initiatives in the field of the social peace. Earlier on Sunday, the first Vice-President had attended the inauguration of voluntary repatriation projects in the area of Arara, in Beida locality, West Darfur, implemented by the State of Qatar within the Project for Rehabilitation and Construction of Darfur. Addressing a mass rally on the occasion, Saleh called the repatriation projects “a fruit of the peace efforts”. He reiterated the government’s firm stance in supporting the citizens of Darfur and providing them with services and development projects. He also called upon the armed movements to join the peace process, and sign the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. The chairman of Darfur Regional Authority (DRA), Dr Tijani Sese in his speech affirmed the importance of voluntary repatriation of the displaced citizens and refugees. He said that thousands of displaced have returned to their home areas along the border with Chad. File photo: First Vice-President Bakri Hassan Saleh (Ashraf Shazly/AFP) Related: DRA opens first voluntary return village in West Darfur (13 June 2014) Displaced still detained ‘to press Central Darfur camp re-planning’ (6 June 2014) ‘Model services complex’ to be opened in West Darfur (3 June 2014)