Voting in Darfur administrative referendum starts

Voting in Darfur region started Monday to end a controversy over the administrative status of the region which has been engulfed in a civil war since 2003.

As many as 3.3 million voters are registered to vote on the referendum after the Sudanese government finished all preparations for the referendum which comes in implementation of a peace deal signed between the government and the Liberation and Justice Movement in Doha in 2011.

Head of the National Referendum Commission Abdel Aziz Al Semani, a retired general, said voters in Northern Darfur region started flocking on the polling stations whose number reached more than 500.

About 93 civil organizations along with 16 international organizations are monitoring the voting on the referendum.

A delegation from the Arab League led by Assistant Secretary General Abdel Latif Ebeid is monitoring the voting process from a number of polling stations in Al Fasher, capital of Northern Darfur. 

The delegation asserted that security conditions are appropriate for holding the referendum and all preparations have already been done to hold the voting according to schedule.

Head of the Arab League delegation announced that the league's delegation will stay in Darfur over the three days voting till the day of announcing the results to affirm the league's commitment towards achieving peace in Darfur region.

Sudanese police troops have been beefed up to secure the balloting process in the five states of Darfur region. Armed Forces personnel were also deployed to secure the voting process.

Source: MENA