Outgoing UN envoy cites political progress in Sudan

February 7, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The departing UN envoy to Sudan, Ashraf Qazi, in a final press conference today described political accomplishments in Sudan made in recent years with regard to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). He believes that Sudanese have made progress in maintaining the ceasefire, negotiating over the disputed oil-rich Abyei region and preparing for elections.

The envoy had authority over the roughly 10,000-member UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS). He is leaving for “personal reasons, family reasons,” he said, at his own request to his boss, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Mr. Qazi was appointed UN Special Representative in Sudan in September 2007. He arrived in Sudan the next month on the 23rd, just weeks after a political crisis in which the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement withdrew from the national unity government. Referring to this, he said today “When I arrived here, the CPA was in some trouble. The SPLM had walked out of the Government of National Unit (GoNU) at the ministerial level. They soon rejoined of course but that was symptomatic of the kinds of tensions that exist between two parties.

“I am glad to note that as I leave, the last abiding memory at the political level will be of the 5th (CPA) Anniversary at Yambio where the two leaders truly spoke from a visionary standpoint – a standpoint based on general conciliation,” he said, alluding to the ceremony attended last month by President Omer Hassan Al Bashir and his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir Mayardit.

The UN official claimed that Ban Ki-Moon’s recent anti-secessionist remark was taken out of context. He said that overall he is “cautiously optimistic that the CPA will be implemented successfully, that the peace in Sudan will be maintained and that the people of the south will be able to peacefully exercise their right to self-determination.”

Commenting on one of the major ceasefire violations since the signing of the CPA — the burning of Abyei town in 2008 — Mr. Qazi noted that political reconciliation was nonetheless achieved after this event.

“While challenges are there, many of the challenges have already been met successfully. Most importantly, the peace between the two sides has been maintained and UNMIS has made its contributions in each one of these fields – not only to the maintenance of the ceasefire. Each one of these challenges were contained and led to further political progress. You know that in 2008 there was a crisis in Abyei but that was contained. It was unfortunate that it happened. Lives were lost. People were displaced. That was a serious development but it then led to both parties getting together and negotiating the Road Map for Abyei and it also led to the Permanent Court of Arbitration taking up the issue and issuing its decision which was accepted by both sides and now of course we await the implementation of that accord,” he said.

He also cited progress in elections preparations, another field linked to implementation of the CPA: “I believe that the National Elections Commission is making steady and significant progress. They have delimited geographical constituencies, they had the voter registration process, the nomination process … a lot of people felt that these would be very difficult but they did successfully negotiate these phases of the huge electoral process and they have cooperated with the donor community which has really generous with its commitments and with the UN in receiving, interacting with them and accepting advice.”

However, the UN envoy was asked about an alleged arms influx from North Sudan into the hands of militias in the South, and he acknowledged that there are threats facing the CPA. “With regards to the allegations of arms, we are aware of these allegations but, I can tell you as of now, we have not been able to verify or confirm them. …Right now we are aware of this situation but we have not, ourselves, come across or been informed or provided with evidence which we can report to the Security Council on this.”

“…If the essential trust between the two parties were to erode and issues and agreements that need to be negotiated don’t happen, then of course the situation could become tense,” he also added

Prior to his assignment to Sudan, Mr. Qazi had represented the UN Secretary General in Iraq, and he was earlier a Pakistani ambassador to China, the United States, Russia, Germany, and Syria. The diplomat voiced confidence in his successor, former Eritrean diplomat Haile Menkerios, saying “my successor is going to be a far more than adequate replacement, far better person, more able person, more experienced person. He is a wonderful individual and is known and is respected in the north and in the south and has huge UN experience – Haile Menkerios will do an absolutely splendid job and you will all find that out.”

(ST)