Residents of Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region go to the ballot today to decide whether the western area’s five states should be merged into a single region.
The Darfur region has been plagued by conflict for more than a decade.
Rebels however say the referendum is not fair because of the heavy fighting in the region, which means many people particularly the displaced, will not be able to vote while the government will mobilise its supporters in state capitals and large towns.
The Sudanese government, however, stressed that the vote must go ahead according to a 2011 peace deal.
Rebels in Darfur took up arms in 2003, accusing President Umar al-Bashir’s government of neglecting the region.
The conflict has led to the deaths of as many as 300,000 people, mainly due to illness and starvation, with about 2.5 million people currently displaced, according to United Nations estimates.
The International Criminal Court has indicted al-Bashir for alleged war crimes.
The referendum is held in accordance with Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), signed between Sudan’s government and the Libration and Justice Movement (LJM) in 2011.
Under the deal, if Darfurians vote for one state, then the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority (TDRA) will form a constitutional committee to determine the authority of Darfur’s regional governments.
However, if they vote for the current five states, then, the current status will remain, and the TDRA will be dissolved.
