Census chief: Census exercise ends today, no extension, partial census in Southern Kordofan

UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN SUDAN ( UNMIS)
Media Monitoring Report, May 5, 2008
(Al-Khartoum/Khartoum Monitor)

Chairperson of the Monitoring and Evaluation Committee of the 5th Population Census Dr. Abdulbagi Algailani has ruled out any intention to extend duration of the census, scheduled to end tomorrow.

He said all obstacles facing census teams have been removed in all States, downplaying the effects of the areas uncovered by the census in some parts of Darfur states.

He added that, while the percentage of census count reached 100% in Northern Kordofan, Read Sea Kassala, Gedarif and Northern States, it reached 85% in West Darfur and 80- 85% in South Darfur.

He indicated the low coverage of the census in Southern Kordofan, which he said amounted to 26% at various localities of the State, attributing the reason to the lack of response of citizens to the census from the beginning.

Meanwhile, SPLM in Southern Kordofan State was still boycotting the census, despite the fact that it was crucial to the human development.

Deputy Governor of Southern Kordofan Daniel Kodi said that the administration, law, police and civil service need to be consolidated; a matter which, he added, makes some areas inaccessible to the census teams.

He noted that the SPLM met last week in Kadogli with the Head of the Census Technical Committee, Yousif Abdelatif and conveyed to him SPLM position boycotting the census.

Kodi emphasized that the SPLM would be firm on its position of boycotting the census and would not change its stand unless reasons for the boycott were eliminated.

But, according to the paper the Secretary-General of State government Abdullah Altoum said that the census was carried out in some parts of the State.

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