Sudan: South Darfur’s unrest escalates
* Article
* Comments (1)
email Email
print Print
pdfSave
separation
increase
decrease
separation
separation
*
*
*
*
January 25, 2012 (KHARTOUM) - Demonstrations in the capital of South
Darfur State, Nyala, continued on Wednesday amid reports of casualties
and arson.
JPEG - 64 kb
Photo showing part of the demos in Nyala (ST)
The protests, which erupted on Tuesday as the state’s new governor
Ismail Hamad arrived in the town to assume his position, faced
increased crackdown on their second day as police forces heavily fired
teargas to break up the demonstrators.
According to Sudan Tribune’s sources, the protestors are demonstrating
against the appointment of the new governor and in favor of
reinstating his predecessor, Abdul Hamid Musa Kasha.
At least three people were killed in the continued demonstration on
Wednesday, Sudan Tribune was told.
The protestors, who were chanting “the people want Kasha back”, set on
fire the headquarters of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in
the town and the office of North Nyala locality.
Kasha was relieved from his position on 10 January and given the
governorship office of East Darfur State which was created on the same
day as part of decrees by Sudan’s President Omer Al-Bashir.
Al-Bashir’s decrees, which are part of the Doha Peace Agreement signed
in mid-July last year between the government and one rebel group in a
bid to end the conflict in the western region, increased the number of
states in Darfur to five by creating East Darfur and Central Darfur
States.
The decrees also appointed new governors and reshuffled the already
existing ones.
Ex-governor Kasha, who was elected to his position in April 2010
general elections, refused to assume the governorship of East Darfur
State, citing dissatisfaction with Al-Bashir’s decision.
Sources told Sudan Tribune that Kasha informed senior government
officials that he rejects his new position because it would mean
taking over an “arid and entirely collapsed” state in terms of
infrastructure, as it has a lack of outlets, headquarters and
departments.
The new governor Hamad Ismail held a press conference on Wednesday and
announced the suspension of study at Nyala University and secondary
schools as of Thursday.
He also announced that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) would take
charge of securing strategic locations and facilities in the state.
Ismail revealed that security authorities had conducted a wide
campaign of arrests among local politicians but he declined to
identify those under arrest.
According to the governor, one child was killed and dozens were
injured, adding that the demonstrators had looted shops and destroyed
government properties.
In the same conference, Deputy Governor Abdul Karim Musa Abdul Karim
accused unnamed sides of trying to exploit the unrest.
The turmoil in South Darfur can be understood in the light of a power
struggle between state governors who belong to the NCP, Like Kasha,
and the Transitional Regional Authority of Darfur (TRAD), which was
established under the aegis of the 2006 Abuja peace Agreement and
later incorporated into the Doha agreement.
The governors refuse to cooperate with the TDRA on the perception that
it detracts from their powers.
(ST)
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"South Sudan Info - The Kob" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected].
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob?hl=en.
