Sudan’s Kiir calls for peace in Darfur
July 16, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The First Vice president of Sudan and the president of semi-autonomous South Salva Kiir called for a peaceful resolution to the Darfur conflict.
Minnawi is a leader of a faction of Sudan Liberation of Movement (SLM), the major Darfur rebel movement to sign a peace agreement with Khartoum.
Sudan state agency (SUNA) quoted Kiir as expressing to Minnawi his support to all negotiation venues on Darfur.
“We must go to Darfur and make peace and have the people of the Darfur live in peace to end the horrors of Darfur there,” Kiir told the crowd.
Kiir reiterated the unwillingness of Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) to return to war saying they want all the Sudanese people want to gain the fruits of peace.
The SPLM chief hailed his stance with the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) to assert the legitimacy of the government.
He accused some parties of seeking to push for war between the North and South and dividing between the SPLM and the NCP who are partners of the Government of National Unity (GoNU).
The remark appeared addressed to Sudanese opposition parties who asserted that the government is unconstitutional after July 9th since elections were supposed to be held by then.
The elections were twice delayed with it being scheduled now for April 2010.
Both the NCP and the SPLM dismissed the opposition demands.
Kiir said that a number of committees are working to resolve outstanding issues in the CPA with NCP regarding the border demarcation, disputed census results and referendum laws.
He also urged the people of oil rich Abyei region to accept the ruling coming next week by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
Kiir lashed out at media outlets that are accusing the GoSS of corruption saying that they will respond “when time is right”.