Darfur Regional Government

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Darfur Regional Government
حكومة إقليم دارفور
Hukumat Aqalim Darfur
Map of Darfur 2011.png
Headquarters Al-Fashir [1]
Official languages Arabic, 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)

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

Contents

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

Transitional Darfur Regional Authority (2007-2011)

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)

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

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)

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

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

IncumbentOffice
Minni Minnawi Regional Governor
Mohamed Issa Aliou [22] Deputy Regional Governor
Adeeb Abdul Rahman YousifGovernor of Central Darfur
Abdul-Hamid Musa Kasha Governor of East Darfur
Nimir Mohammed Abdel RahmanGovernor of North Darfur
Musa Mahdi IshaqGovernor of South Darfur
Khamis AbakarGovernor 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 SaddamCo-ordinator for Displaced Persons and Refugees

Leadership

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

TenureIncumbentParty
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 2021Post abolishedn/a
10 August 2021 – present Minni Minnawi Sudan Liberation Movement/Army

See also

Related Research Articles

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Currently, the politics of Sudan takes place in the framework of a federal provisional government. Previously, a president was head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces in a de jure multi-party system. Legislative power was officially vested in both the government and in the two chambers, the National Assembly (lower) and the Council of States (higher), of the bicameral National Legislature. The judiciary is independent and obtained by the Constitutional Court. However, following a deadly civil war and the still ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan was widely recognized as a totalitarian state where all effective political power was held by President Omar al-Bashir and his National Congress Party (NCP). However, al-Bashir and the NCP were ousted in a military coup which occurred on April 11, 2019. The government of Sudan was then led by the Transitional Military Council or TMC. On 20 August 2019, the TMC dissolved giving its authority over to the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, who were planned to govern for 39 months until 2022, in the process of transitioning to democracy. However, the Sovereignty Council and the Sudanese government were dissolved in October 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darfur</span> Region of western Sudan

Darfur is a region of western Sudan. Dār is an Arabic word meaning "home [of]" – the region was named Dardaju while ruled by the Daju, who migrated from Meroë c. 350 AD, and it was renamed Dartunjur when the Tunjur ruled the area. Darfur was an independent sultanate for several hundred years until 1874, when it fell to the Sudanese warlord Rabih az-Zubayr. The region was later invaded and incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. As an administrative region, Darfur is divided into five federal states: Central Darfur, East Darfur, North Darfur, South Darfur and West Darfur. Because of the War in Darfur between Sudanese government forces and the indigenous population, the region has been in a state of humanitarian emergency and genocide since 2003. The factors include religious and ethnic rivalry, and the rivalry between farmers and herders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justice and Equality Movement</span> Sudanese opposition group

The Justice and Equality Movement is an opposition group in Sudan founded by Khalil Ibrahim. Gibril Ibrahim has led the group since January 2012 after the death of Khalil, his brother, in December 2011. The JEM supported the removal of President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir and nation-wide government reform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudan Liberation Movement/Army</span> Darfuri rebel group

The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army is a Sudanese rebel group active in Darfur, Sudan. It was founded as the Darfur Liberation Front by members of three indigenous ethnic groups in Darfur: the Fur, the Zaghawa, and the Masalit, among whom were the leaders Abdul Wahid al-Nur of the Fur and Minni Minnawi of the Zaghawa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War in Darfur</span> Genocidal conflict in Southwestern Sudan

The War in Darfur, also nicknamed the Land Cruiser War, was a major armed conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan that began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebel groups began fighting against the government of Sudan, which they accused of oppressing Darfur's non-Arab population. The government responded to attacks by carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Darfur's non-Arabs. This resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of civilians and the indictment of Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minni Minnawi</span> Sudanese politician (born 1968)

Suliman Arcua Minnawi, also known as "Minni Minnawi", is a Sudanese politician the leader of a faction of the Sudanese Liberation Army. A former educator, Minnawi served as secretary to Sudan Liberation Army leader Abdul Wahid al-Nur before the organisation split in 2004.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Darfurian status referendum</span>

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The Darfur Peace Agreement may refer to one of three peace agreements that were signed by the Government of Sudan and Darfur-based rebel groups in 2006, 2011 and 2020 with the intention of ending the Darfur Conflict.

Shartai Jaafar Abdel Hakam is a Sudanese politician who served as governor of West Darfur and Chairperson of the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority (TDRA). He became Chairperson of the authority in December 2010 following the withdrawal of the Sudan Liberation Movement from the Darfur Peace Agreement and the dismissal of its leader Minni Minnawi from that post. Abdel-Hakam was able to assume the office of Chairman as the Darfur Peace Agreement states that should the position become vacant, one of the Darfur state governors may chair its proceedings. Abdel-Hakam served as chair of the TDRA until the body was reconstituted as the Darfur Regional Authority with Tijani Sese as chair on 20 September 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberation and Justice Movement</span>

The Liberation and Justice Movement is a rebel group in the Darfur conflict in Sudan, led by Dr Tijani Sese. The Liberation and Justice Movement is an alliance of ten smaller Darfuri rebel organisations which formed a new grouping on 23 February 2010. On 20 March 2010, the Liberation and Justice Movement signed a cease-fire agreement with the Sudanese Government and agreed to talks that could lead to a final peace agreement. The Liberation and Justice Movement participated in the Doha peace negotiations held in December 2010 and in January 2011, its leader stated that the movement had accepted the core proposals of the Darfur peace document proposed by the joint-mediators. On 29 January 2011, the leaders of the Liberation and Justice Movement and of the rival Justice and Equality Movement issued a joint statement stating their commitment to the Doha negotiations and agreed to attend the Doha forum in February 2011. The Liberation and Justice Movement signed a new Darfur Peace Agreement with the Sudanese Government in July 2011; however, various factions of the group have merged with the Justice and Equality Movement.

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Predecessor bodies

Media