Sudan peace process certain, irreversible: Kenyan FM

NAIVASHA, Kenya, Jan 7, 2004 (Xinhua) — The peace process in the Sudan is certain and irreversible, Kenyan Foreign Minister Kalonzo Musyoka said Wednesday before the Sudanese government and rebels signed the wealth sharing agreement here.

“I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate the government of the Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) for yet another monumental achievement in the Sudan peace process,” said Musyoka, who is also the host of the Sudan peace talks held in Kenya.

The agreement, signed in the Kenyan town Naivasha, some 90 km northwest of the capital Nairobi, covers the division of oil and non-oil revenues, management of the oil sector, the monetary authority of the Sudan during the interim period, and the reconstruction of the south and other war affected areas, according to Musyoka.

He said “I commend you for your patience in reaching this agreement.”

The Sudan civil war started in 1983 when the SPLA took arms fighting for self-determination in the southern part of the country.

The conflict has left some 2 million people dead, mostly through war-induced famine and diseases.

The Sudanese government and the SPLA began peace talks in 2002 in Kenya, aimed at ending the longest civil war on the continent, under the auspices of the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a seven-member regional group in east Africa, consisting of Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda, Eritrea, Somali and the Sudan.

Musyoka said that the two sides of the talks are already putting on the table serious options on how to resolve the issues which are still outstanding in the conflict areas and in power sharing, adding that he was also informed that the two sides are willing to continue negotiation until they conclude all the outstanding issues.

“These bold steps in the process have fostered a positive atmosphere which will in no doubt lead to a comprehensive and durable peace in the Sudan,” he said.