IRIN

JUBA, 5 November 2009 (IRIN) - Sudan has started registering voters for presidential, legislative and regional elections, but officials in the south and international observers say the process has begun on a flawed note.

"This process could easily be referred to as ‘dead on arrival’," Anne Itto, secretary-general for the south of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), said on 3 November.

The National Election Commission (NEC) deputy head Abdalla Ahmed, however, told the Sudan Tribune on 2 November that the NEC had mobilized concerned authorities to ensure the success of the exercise.

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KHARTOUM, 31 July 2009 (IRIN) - Aid workers and officials are calling for a scaling-up in peacekeeping efforts in Sudan's western Darfur region.

“Darfur may appear calmer, but one has to remember that there are fewer reports coming out because they are deeply nervous of how the Sudanese government will react to criticism,” said one international aid worker, who has spent more than two years in Darfur. 

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NAIROBI, 18 May 2009 (IRIN) - Rebels in Sudan’s Darfur region are showing signs of unity, but it has not brought their region any closer to a comprehensive peace, analysts said, as the government wrapped up another round of unsuccessful discussions with the most active rebel group. 

Since the indictment on 4 March of President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes, the Justice and Equality Movement claims to have made big strides towards uniting fractious rebels by bringing other groups under its umbrella.  

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