News Analysis: Darfur visit by Sudan's al-Bashir sends messages ahead of referendum

The recent tour of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to Darfur region's five states has acquired a special importance in terms of timing as it came only a few days ahead of the region's administrative status referendum, where Sudanese analysts believed it embodied many messages.

During Tuesday's tour, al-Bashir addressed mass rallies in the five states' capitals.

According to analysts, al-Bashir was keen to deliver altogether five messages while addressing the rallies on the administrative status referendum, the security situation, arms collection, destiny of the displaced people and development projects.

"The president's visit to Darfur has given a great momentum to the region's administrative status referendum, set for April 11, and reflected the government's concern with the conduction of the referendum as a constitutional right and a major item in the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD)," Sharaf-Eddin Ahmed Hamid, a Sudanese political analyst, told Xinhua.

"It is clear that the government is adopting the option of the region's current administrative system of five states, where the president was keen to reaffirm the freedom of choice for the Darfur people through a free referendum. Similarly, the people in Darfur state have shown a great support for the five states option," he noted.

Taj-Eddin Adam, a prominent Darfurian politician, for his part, said President al-Bashir focused, during his tour, on reiterating the improved security situation in the region and the decline of rebellion, particularly after the recent clashes at Jebel Marra area, which was a stronghold for the rebels.

"In most of his speeches in Darfur, al-Bashir reiterated that the security situation generally was stable and that the army was ready to clear what have remained of small pockets where rebels are still present," Adam told Xinhua.

"This was a clear message that the government was pressing ahead with the military option, particularly after the Darfur rebels refused to sign a road-map agreement recently proposed by the African Union mediation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia," he added.

Adam further regarded al-Bashir's announcement of a government plan to collect the arms and formation of a higher committee for that purpose as one of the most prominent messages in the president's tour, particularly that the spread of arms was one of the main reasons behind the continuation of the conflict in Darfur.

"This is a real challenge for the government as arms have become part of the culture of the Darfur people, and convincing them to abandon their arms will not be an easy matter. It will need intensive effort and a tight plan," he said.

Al-Bashir was also keen to win the support of the displaced people who are the most affected by the conflict in Darfur, through the adoption of a government plan that leaves the option for the displaced people to return to their home areas or stay where they are with the adjustment of their status to be as citizens and not displaced.

"This stance has prompted a great relief among the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who were afraid that the government would forcibly drive them out of the camps," Iyssa Mohamed Al-Shareef, a leader at Khour Omer IDP camp in El Daein town in East Darfur State, told Xinhua.

"Now we can decide our fate, where the people who want to return to their home area, the government, represented in the president, announced its commitment to provide the necessary services, and the people who want to stay, the government will provide them with the basic requirements," he noted.

"Regarding the development project, President al-Bashir has reiterated his government commitment to completing the projects it started earlier, namely roads, electricity, water, health and education services," he added.

To this end, Sudanese political analyst Abdul-Azim Al-Amin, told Xinhua that "the president held the rebellion responsible of crippling development projects and that stability and security are main keys to development and rehabilitation."

"The president promised to complete the Western Salvation highway which links Darfur with Kordofan and Khartoum states. He also declared the (Zero Thirst) program which aims at ending the water crisis in Darfur," he noted.

Last Friday al-Bashir started touring Darfur's five states, just a few days ahead of the upcoming referendum on Darfur's administrative status, slated for April 11.

Major Darfur rebel movements refused to participate in the referendum, unless Khartoum fulfils their demands of reaching a political solution with the armed groups and financially compensating citizens affected by the conflict.

The Sudanese government stressed that the referendum must be implemented according to the Abuja peace deal which Khartoum signed with the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM)/ Minni Minnawi faction in 2006.

The Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, signed by the government and the Liberation and Justice Movement in 2011, stipulates conducting a referendum in Darfur, and that its outcome will be included in the country's permanent constitution.

According to the agreement, if Darfur citizens vote for one state, then the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority (TDRA) will form a constitutional committee to determine the authority of Darfur's regional governments.

However, if Darfur citizens vote for the current five states, then, according to the agreement, the current status of the five states will remain as they are, and the TDRA will be dissolved. Endit