Police stations resume operations in North Darfur’s El Fasher

Police stations in El Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur State, have resumed operations after years of disruptions linked to clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Interior Minister Lt. Gen. Suleiman Sandal Haqar and Prime Minister Mohamed Hassan Al-Taishi of the parallel Government of Peace and Unity, led by RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), attended a ceremony on Monday marking the resumption of Federal Police operations in the city.

Following the outbreak of war between the SAF and the RSF on 15 April 2023, in Khartoum and several other cities, police forces largely disappeared from the public scene, bringing most of the services they provided to citizens to a halt.

The entire Founding Government Council travelled to El Fasher from its administrative base in the South Darfur State capital, Nyala, to hold a meeting and assess conditions in the city, beginning with the reopening of police stations.

Addressing the ceremony, Interior Minister Lt. Gen. Suleiman Sandal Haqar described the occasion as historic for the Sudanese people and the Founding Government.

“This is a historic day for the Sudanese people and the Founding Government, as the Council of Ministers holds a meeting in El Fasher,” he said. “We want to affirm to the world that the city is recovering despite the war and destruction it has experienced.”

Meanwhile, addressing Federal Police personnel, Prime Minister Mohamed Hassan Al-Taishi said he was conveying three messages from the Founding Government. One of them, he said, was that the police constituted a fundamental pillar of the government’s founding project, which seeks to build a new Sudan that respects and safeguards the dignity of its citizens.

He added that the government’s focus on the police stemmed from the connection between the Federal Police project and the protection of civilians.

“The police are responsible for enforcing the law and protecting civilians, but they cannot fulfil this responsibility unless they are properly equipped and trained and receive their salaries at the beginning of every month,” Al-Taishi said.

He further identified restoring normal life in El Fasher as a priority for the Founding Government and its Council of Ministers, through the provision of essential services, the rehabilitation of public institutions and community structures, and the restoration of security.

Mustafa Al-Tounsi, a resident of El Fasher, confirmed that Federal Police units had resumed their duties across the city.

He said that various police departments, including the traffic police in the southern sector and the Abu Shouk police station, as well as the police headquarters, were now operational. He said the police are receiving complaints from residents and conducting investigations after obtaining authorization from the public prosecution to open cases. He also noted that a court complex had reopened in the city the previous week.

“Access to justice is now available to any citizen who has suffered harm or believes they have been wronged,” he said. “They simply need to go to the relevant police station to file a report and submit a complaint within the jurisdiction of the appropriate department.”

Al-Tounsi added that El Fasher was currently experiencing a significant degree of recovery.

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