Sudan V-P calls for voluntary return survey in Darfur

Sudan’s Second Vice-President Hasabo Mohamed Abdelrahman has called for a survey among displaced people in Darfur on the rehabilitation of camps and facilitation of voluntary repatriations.

Abdelrahman instructed the preparation of a direct survey, regarding the rehabilitation of the camps as part of efforts to facilitate voluntary return, during a meeting with the Voluntary Repatriation Committee on Saturday. He urged the delegation of the committee, headed by Majdi Khalafallah, head of the Darfur Peace Monitoring Office, to fulfil the pledges of development in Darfur to donors.

Majdi told Sudanese press afterwards that the vice-president pointed out the importance of developing new strategies for development and service projects in Darfur.

Voluntary return

Two weeks ago displaced people in Darfur told this station that the continued announcements of the Sudanese government and the recent declaration of the US military attaché in Khartoum about the improved security situation in the region are “false propaganda”. While the majority of displaced long to return, reports of militiamen with their families occupying the abandoned villages and farms continue to emerge.

The head of the Darfur Civil Society Platform Hamid Ali Nur said that the government's options given to the Darfur displaced, either to return to their villages of origin, or integrate them into the local communities by re-structuring the camps, are fake. “As the displaced are not able to return, Khartoum’s policy is aimed at permanently displacing them from their homes, lands, and heritage.”

New camp management

The Commissioner of El Fasher, El Tijani Abdallah Saleh issued a decision to form a committee for the management of Korma camp. The committee is tasked with urging camp residents to voluntarily return to their villages, supervising the camp's market in cooperation with Sudanese armed forces, and solving problems in Korma camp.

Yousif Mustafa will head the committee, to be deputed by Abdelsalam Adam Bashar, and Yagoub Idris as a rapporteur. The committee will include 15 leaders and representatives of the political, military, and popular defence forces.