Central Darfur State’s Secretariat General in Zalingei has turned into a sheltering center for hundreds of displaced people after it was looted and vandalized during clashes between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
A political activist, Mohammed Issa, informed Radio Tamazuj over the weekend that the destruction and sabotage that affected state institutions is considered a systematic act as it targeted sites such as the civil registry, the university, the government secretariat, the judicial system, and other essential buildings.
He said these facilities were not of the utmost importance to the citizen who was concerned with survival during the chaos.
“Some of the materials, equipment, and furniture were of direct benefit but what happened to institutions such as the government secretariat and the judiciary reflects the existence of an intention to destroy these headquarters,” Issa stated.
He attributed the destruction to the war that broke out between the army and RSF.
For his part, Dar Al Salam Sanusi, a trade union activist, expressed her regret over what happened and attributed the destruction and sabotage of public institutions to the presence of accumulated historical grievances that contributed to the creation of ignorance.
She said that the current conflict has exposed the rooted and accumulated bitterness of the society due to a long period of negligence.
“Conditions should improve, the civil democratic transition completed, and a state of justice and equality should be established,” Sanusi said.
She expressed her aspirations for the establishment of a state with true institutions, despite the great extent of the damage.
Meanwhile, Zakaria Khaled, a former minister, said that an institution such as the state government secretariat represents the symbol of governance and the sovereignty of the country and that the attacks that occurred showed disrespect to institutions because the government abandoned its basic function of providing security and services.
“These institutions have become worthless in the view of many people and do not reflect the reality of their aspirations for protection and provision of the basics of living to achieve social well-being,” he charged. “The state focused on building institutions without paying attention to building the human being himself.”