Central Darfur displaced reject land rezoning

The residents of Arula of Garsila locality in Central Darfur, who fled to Garsila camps in 2003 because of the war, have refused a local committee's decision to build public facilities at Arula and compensating them with alternative housing.

Yesterday one of the sheikhs told Radio Dabanga from that the displaced have refused a decision to remove their residential land and return voluntarily because of insecurity.

They called on Shartai Ismaili Mohammad Bashar and his local committee to build schools, hospitals and police stations on their original sites, not in the places instead of on their land.

They also demanded from the local and state authorities to intervene immediately to stop this rejected decision.

In Khartoum, the Governor of South Darfur announced the transformation of camp El Salam which accommodates 150,000 displaced people, to El Salam city as part of the government plan for the camps.

Voluntary return

The Governor of South Darfur, El Faki said after a meeting with the First Vice President and the Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Saleh in Khartoum that the process of voluntary return in South Darfur has begun in more than 15 villages without interference from the government

The Prime Minister stressed the importance of planning the camps and enhancing the process of voluntary return for peace and stability in South Darfur.

The Commissioner of Um Baru, Ahmed Mohammed El Taher announced the return of 40,000 refugees and displaced persons to their places of origin.

Yesterday he announced to Sudan News Agency the opening of Um Baru hospital and five health centres at areas of Orshi, Musbat, Um Haraz and Um Marahik to provide medical and treatment services for the patients.

He explained that during the last phase the locality has managed to implement several service projects such as the rehabilitation of the Orshi reservoir in cooperation with the voluntary organisations and the local community, digging eight underground wells, the maintenance of about 25 hand pumps and installing of six solar units to benefit from in running wells.