Appointing Minnawi as Coordinator for Darfur in El-Gedaref sparks controversy

In a new development that was widely condemned by sectors and citizens of El-Gedaref, the head of the Sudan Liberation Movement, Minni Arcua Minnawi, was appointed as a Coordinator for Darfur region in El-Gedaref state with the Army leadership’s blessing.

With this development garnering an astonished reaction from El-Gedaref citizens as well as observers, and Minnawi’s claim that he still holds the position of ‘Governor of Darfur region’ despite his escape to Port Sudan (17) months ago, this appointment invokes numerous serious questions, especially since it coincided with the notable activity of elements of Sudan Liberation Movement in purchasing houses and agricultural lands on a large scale and at exorbitant prices that El-Gedaref hasn’t witnessed before.

A number of citizens in El-Gedaref expressed their surprise at the appointment of a Coordinator for Darfur in the state, citing the rise in prices of agricultural projects and houses, in addition to the existence of strange faces in the state, accusing influential leaders in the Army and the National Congress of opening the state to the Sudan Liberation Movement, warning of attempts to change the demographics of the state.