Joint Statement on the  NCP decision to conduct referendum on the permanent status of Darfur

April 2, 2011 

On the view of the presidential decree No 4 of 2011 for conducting referendum on the administrative status of Darfur, the Sudan Liberation Movement (Minawi), the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Movement (Abulgasim Imam) while objecting to and condemning in strongest term this decision they would like to state the following:

 

1-     Darfur had been a single administrative unit until it was divided by presidential decree in 1994. That division was aimed to serve the central government's policy of divide and rule. 

2-     Its crystal clear that the necessity of returning Darfur to a single administrative unit remained a consensual demand for the people of Darfur

3-     In spite of all that the NCP government has strongly resisted this demand.

4-    This presidential decree on referendum comes as a total violation of both the facts on the ground and current reality of Doha process in which the government should stick to it.  As the NCP government have abrogated the DPA agreement by declaring war against the signatory parties, I n which the government has no right to conduct referendum on the basis of the DPA, it also undermines  its ongoing commitments in Doha in which the parties agreed to reach the final decision on the issue of the administrative status of Darfur. Thus the NCP government has no right under any circumstances to take any unilateral action on the final status of Darfur in the name of referendum. 

Its on the background of the above points the movements like to state that:

1-    The presidential decree No. 4 of 2011 is null and void

2-    As a matter of condition the movements consider this decision as a major obstacle to the continuation of Doha negotiation and therefore call upon the Joint Mediation to take all the necessary measures that meet the above condition.

3-    As this decision violates the commitments of the parties on Darfur conflict the Joint Mediation should not recognize any outcome in cause NCP government insists to act unilaterally for the purpose of creating a de facto that definitely degenerates the situation further.

4-    The movements shall not recognize any result of any unilateral and forceful act.

5-    The movements call on the people of Darfur to strongly oppose this decision and not to recognize its outcome.

6-    The movements also call on the international community to stand against firmly against this decision and call on the political parties and civil society in Sudan to condemn this unilateral step.

Mniin Minawi                                        

Chairman                                                       

SLM                                                                   

 

Abul-gasim Imam

Chairman 

SLM  

Dr. Khalil Ibrahim

President

JEM

 

April, 2-2011