Khartoum - Abed Algayom Ashmeag
The governor of North Darfur Osman Yusuf Kibir Khartoum - Abed Algayom Ashmeag The governor of North Darfur Osman Yusuf Kibir, confirmed to Arabstoday that the so-called Sudan Revolutionary Front ( SRF) is the main threat to Sudan, because it includes a number of armed movements, Kibir added that the group must be eliminated, warning : \"if we do not eliminate them, we shall wait for security problems that may extend from Darfur to other areas in Sudan\". *How do you assess the security situation in the region which has been a scene for operations carried out by armed movements that reject peace? -The security situation in the region is stable and getting better. According to statistics, there is no comparison between the current situation and the past ones. Incidents are limited in six types of crimes for police, judiciary and prosecution records, namely : murder, deliberate murder, banditry, looting, rape and destruction. In 2004 there were around 3622 crimes, while statistics for the same crimes in 2011 were only about 140. The spread of schools and increasing numbers of students also indicate stability. The number of students in the county was in 2003 about 191,000 students, but it has now reached 480,000, distributed across 1036 schools. * Are there a statistical numbers for displaced individuals from their homes after their areas were exposed to frequent attacks by rebel movements . Who should we believe, the government’s statistics or organisations’ working in those camps and providing the necessary assistance to them? -There is an ongoing debate between us as a government and the organisations that talk about 451,000 displaced people in North Darfur, while we talk about half that number. The organisations have an interest in providing displaced people with large amounts of humanitarian aid, as the organisations can also get a substantial financial support from international institutions. Stopping the donations after the global recession made those organisations rethink their statistics and consequently, their services decreased to show the actual number of displaced people that we were talking about, which is about 200,000. *Where do these displaced people live? Do the armed movements have an influence over these people? - They reside in a number of camps in North Darfur. The main camps in the state are: Abu Shouk, Salam, Kassab and Zamzam. There are also camps in other areas such as: Taweelah, Mellit and Kabkabiya, and Shangil Tobaya. It is true that the armed movements have an influence among the displaced people, especially the Sudan Liberation Movement ( SLM), which is led by Abdel Wahid Mohammed Nur and is known to always address these displaced people. However, its influence is currently decreasing. *There are statements about the inability of the armed movements to bring security in the region while there are occasional attacks by these movements. Why do you talk about the limited activity of those movements, and at the same time about their attacks? -All armed movements that oppose peace and signed agreements with the government are present in the region, such as the Justice and Equality movement, the Sudan Liberation movement , the Liberation and Justice, and Minnawi ‘s movement. All these movements have recently been in North Darfur. They are a security threat as they hinder the flow of trade between the cities of the region. Moreover, those movements have looted the properties of poor citizens and as a result does not make people sympathetic towards them. *Are there communications between you and the movements that reject peace, especially as you are from the region and ou have relations with many of the movements leaders? -Communications between myself and the leaders of those movements has not been interrupted. I have persuaded a group of around 11 armed movements to join the peace process and they are now involved in power. * How would you rate the performance of the UN mission (UNAMID) in achieving peace ? - UNAMID has already achieved huge successes and can achieve more. However its weak logistical system put it in a bad situation . If not for the huge distances of the region, it could have achieved more as Western countries supported the idea. UNAMID, after the improvement of the security situation in the region , will reduce its forces by 25 percent. *What is the impact of the current economic difficulties in Sudan on the overall situation in the region, especially as more than one sector has complained about the delay in the flow of money needed for construction and reconstruction?. -North Darfur has been affected, like all other states in the country by the economic crisis. It is true that there were delays in the flow of money and in required ratifications to complete the projects, but we are now striving and coordinating with the authorities in Khartoum not to disrupt citizens services. The situation will certainly improve, but we also understand the challenges which the country is now going through. * What is the primary threat to Sudan’s security at the moment? -The so-called \"Revolutionary Front\" is the primary threat to Sudan, as it includes the armed movements in Darfur in addition to the so-called \"popular movement\" in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan states. We must eliminate them quickly, otherwise security problems will spread to other parts of Sudan.