Sudan's Darfur votes for five-state administrative system by 97%

Some of Darfur residents heading to a polling station (Image from Anadolu Agency)

Khartoum (IINA) – The “states' option” in the administrative referendum of Darfur region of western Sudan has won by 97.72 percent, compared to 2.28 percent voting for “one region option”, Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported.
The government split the western region into three states in 1994, and then later into five states, following years of tribal fighting.
In a press conference here on Saturday, Chairman of Darfur Referendum Commission Omer Ali Gamma said that 97.72 percent of voters chose to continue with the five-state administrative system and that 3.08 million people of a total 3.21 million eligible voters had turned out. Whilst, 2.28 percent (71,920) of voters chose the one-region administrative system.
He added that 102 foreigners and 1,500 nationals have monitored the polling process including representatives of the Arab League, the African Union (AU), Russia, China, Turkey, as well as of African and Arab countries.
The  referendum was conducted on April 11-13 in implementation of a provision in the July 2011 Doha Document on Peace in Darfur (DDPD) which provides that a plebiscite must be held in five years following the signing of the document in the Qatari capital by the Sudanese government and the former rebel Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM).
AB/IINA

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