Darfur Regional Government

The Darfur Regional Government is an administrative body for the Darfur region of the Republic of Sudan.[3]

Darfur Regional Government
حكومة إقليم دارفور
Hukumat Aqalim Darfur
Location of Darfur
HeadquartersAl-Fashir[1]
Official languagesArabic, Fur
Demonym(s)Darfuri, Darfurian and Darfurese
Government
• Regional Governor
Minni Minawi[2]
Establishment
5 May 2006
14 July 2011
• Regional Government
10 August 2021
Area
• Total
493,180 km2 (190,420 sq mi)
Population
• 2017 estimate
9,241,369
• Density
18.7/km2 (48.4/sq mi)

A Transitional Darfur Regional Authority was established in April 2007 under the terms of the 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement[4] signed in May 2006.[5] The transitional authority was reconstituted as the Darfur Regional Authority on 14 July 2011, following the signing of a new Darfur Peace Agreement, which included provisions for a regional authority with both executive and legislative functions.[6][7][8] The current regional government was formed in August 2021.[2]

History

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Transitional Darfur Regional Authority (2007-2011)

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A Transitional Darfur Regional Authority was established in April 2007 as part of the Darfur Peace Agreement between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Minnawi. The agreement was an attempt to resolve the Darfur conflict that had been ongoing from February 2003. The agreement was only signed by one rebel group, the Sudan Liberation Movement, and rejected by the Justice and Equality Movement, resulting in continuation of the conflict.

TDRA was composed of six commissions amongst which Darfur Reconstruction and Development Fund (DRDF) represented the backbone of the Authority. Abdelgabar Dosa was the founding President of the DRDF. The Commission had prepared a comprehensive and significant reconstruction and development plan of seven years 2008–2015 to be implemented in the region with all projects prepared meeting the international standards. In 2008 as the government failed to fulfil its obligations to allocate the seed money ($700 million) agreed upon in the agreement Abdelgabar Dosa resigned and is living as a refugee in the UK.

In December 2010, the Sudan Liberation Movement withdrew from the peace agreement and the regional authority. Its leader Minni Minnawi fled to Southern Sudan and has since been dismissed as Senior Assistant to the President of Sudan and as Chairman of the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority.[9] The new Chairman Shartai Jaafar Abdel Hakam subsequently dismissed 10 other members of the Sudan Liberation Movement from the authority.[10]

Darfur Regional Authority (2011-2016)

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In June 2011, a new Darfur Peace Agreement was proposed by the Joint Mediators at the Doha Peace Forum. This new agreement was intended to supersede the 2006 Abuja Agreement and included provisions for a Darfuri Vice-President and an administrative structure that includes both the states (as part of the process, two additional states were to be created in January 2012 within Darfur) and a strategic regional authority to oversee Darfur as a whole.[11] The new agreement was signed by the Government of Sudan and the Liberation and Justice Movement on 14 July 2011.[12] The Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement did not sign the new document but have three months in which to do so if they wish. The transition process towards a new authority began on 20 September 2011 when Tijani Sese was named as its chairman by the President of Sudan.[13] He was formally sworn in as chairman in October 2011 which was followed by the other executive members being appointed in January 2012. The two new states (East Darfur and Central Darfur) were also created in the Darfur region at the same time, bringing the total to five. The new authority assumed its full functions on 8 February 2012.[8]

Following the Darfur status referendum held in April 2016, the DRA was dissolved in July 2016. Its assets were handed over to the Office of the President of Sudan and the commissions established as part of the Darfur peace Agreement now report directly to the president.[14]

The 2011 Darfur Peace Agreement contained provisions for an administrative structure for Darfur that includes the three states (raised to five states from January 2012) and a strategic authority to oversee the region as a whole.[11] The regional authority it proposed consists of both executive and legislative organs which are known as the Darfur Executive and the Darfur Council.

The Darfur Executive was led by an Executive Chairperson and also included an Executive Deputy-Chairperson, Darfur state governors, ministers and heads of ad hoc Darfur commissions.

The Darfur Council was made up of 66 Council Members drawn from the armed movements and the Darfur state legislatures. The Council met for the first time in January 2013 in Nyala, South Darfur.[15]

Status referendum

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The permanent status of the Darfur region was determined by a referendum held in April 2016 in which the people of Darfur had the choice between "the creation of a Darfur Region composed of the three states" (there are now five states), with a constitution and regional government, or the retention of the status quo, with the Darfur region divided between several states.[16][17][18] The referendum result supported the retention of the status quo and the regional authority was dissolved on 14 June 2016.[19]

Darfur Regional Government (2021-present)

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On 31 August 2020, the Juba Agreement was signed between the Transitional Government of Sudan and two Darfur based opposition groups, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and the Justice and Equality Movement on the other. The agreement stated that the two former rebel groups would join the transition to democracy in Sudan through peaceful means.[20][21] As part of this agreement, the Darfur Regional Government was formed in August 2021 when Minni Minnawi was appointed as Regional Governor.

Members

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The members of the Cabinet of the Darfur Regional Government are as follows:

Incumbent Office
Minni Minnawi Regional Governor
Mohamed Issa Aliou[22] Deputy Regional Governor
Adeeb Abdul Rahman Yousif Governor of Central Darfur
Abdul-Hamid Musa Kasha Governor of East Darfur
Nimir Mohammed Abdel Rahman Governor of North Darfur
Musa Mahdi Ishaq Governor of South Darfur
Khamis Abakar Governor of West Darfur
Tawheeda Abdulrahman Youssef[23] Secretary General
Minister of Education, Scientific Research and Vocational Training
Salah Hamed Al-Wali[24] Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Abdulaziz Mersal Hasaballah Shadou[25][26] Minister of Finance
Babker Hamdin[27] Minister of Health and Social Welfare
Yahya Saddam Co-ordinator for Displaced Persons and Refugees

Leadership

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The leaders of the Darfur Regional Government and its predecessor bodies are as follows:

Tenure Incumbent Party
23 April 2007 – 5 December 2010 Minni Minnawi Sudan Liberation Movement/Army
5 December 2010 – 20 September 2011 Shartai Jaafar Abdel Hakam National Congress Party
20 September 2011 – 14 July 2016 Tijani Sese Liberation and Justice Movement
14 July 2016 – 10 August 2021 Post abolished n/a
10 August 2021 – present Minni Minnawi Sudan Liberation Movement/Army

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "حكومة إقليم دارفور تشرع في إعادة تأهيل مقرها بالفاشر". /alkhaleej24.co (in Arabic). 4 January 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Minni Minawi to be inaugurated today as Governor of Darfur". 10 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Agreement on regional governance for Sudan's Darfur". 23 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  4. ^ "None". Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  5. ^ "People's Daily Online - Sudan forms transitional regional authority to implement Darfur peace deal". Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  6. ^ Waal, Alex de (14 July 2006). "Sudan: The Transitional Darfur Regional Authority". Allafrica.com. Retrieved 21 April 2023 – via AllAfrica.
  7. ^ "Sudan signs peace deal with Darfur rebel group - Yahoo News". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Sudan: Darfur Regional Authority launched". BBC News. 8 February 2012.
  9. ^ "ReliefWeb » Document » Sudan rebel chief ready to battle Khartoum". Archived from the original on 2 January 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  10. ^ "Dismissals in ex-rebel governance body for Darfur | Radio Dabanga". Archived from the original on 6 January 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  11. ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ "Darfur peace agreement to be signed on 14 July - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan". Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  13. ^ "الصفحة الرئيسية". Dabanga Radio TV Online. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Sudan's Darfur regional authority to be dissolved after referendum - Africa - News - StarAfrica.com". Archived from the original on 4 May 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  15. ^ "DRA council inaugurated in Nyala | Radio Dabanga". Archived from the original on 15 April 2013.
  16. ^ "Sudan Tribune". Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2007.
  17. ^ "ENOUGH: A Strategy for Success in Sirte |Save Darfur". Archived from the original on 6 February 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2007.
  18. ^ "Sudan Human Rights Information Gateway (SHRIG) - Shartai Abdul al Hakam Appointed Chairperson of Darfur Transitional Authority". Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  19. ^ Dabanga, Darfur referendum: ‘States option’ wins by a landslide, published 23 April 2016, accessed 27 April 2021
  20. ^ "Sudan PM in Juba for peace agreement". Radio Dabanga. 31 August 2020. Archived from the original on 1 September 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  21. ^ "Sudan signs peace deal with rebel groups from Darfur". Al Jazeera. 31 August 2020.
  22. ^ "نائب حاكم إقليم دارفور يُخاطب ورشة الإصلاح الاقتصادي وتحسين معاش الناس بالضعين". Darfurgov. 4 January 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  23. ^ "وكالة السودان للأنباء".
  24. ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  25. ^ "⭕️وزير مالية حكومة إقليم دارفور الأستاذ عبدالعزيز مرسال حسب الله (شدو) في حوار مع صحيفة السوداني". Darfurgov. 23 October 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  26. ^ "قرار لمناوي بتعيين وزير مالية لحكومة إقليم دارفور". باج نيوز. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  27. ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
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Predecessor bodies

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Media

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