Sudanese VP enumerates steps leading to national unity govt

KHARTOUM, May 28, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) — The Sudanese first vice-president, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, has called upon the various warring factions in Darfur “to come to the next round of talks with a true spirit of concord and settlement in order to end the war”.

Ali Osman Taha

Taha was taking part in a live TV debate with the chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), John Garang. The debate was hosted by TV presenter Zubayr Uthman Ahmad.

The following is and excerpt from the vice-president’s comment on the various steps leading to forming the national unity government, broadcast by Sudanese TV on 28 May:

Vice-president: In fact the steps have already started since the signing the peace agreement. We are making arrangements to reach the formation of the national unity government.

Once again, this is a preparatory period from 9 January to 9 July. Some people wonder why 9 July? This is the end of the sixth months provided for by the peace agreement from the date of its signing till the forming of the national unity government. The six months are stipulated so that the six-year transitional period in southern Sudan starts from the day the national unity government is formed.

The current six months are preparatory months. The main duties during these six months were the preparation of the constitution. The constitution review commission is very close to completing the preparation of the constitution. It may even be ready before the set deadline.

The second step is the political consultations which are taking place now. We think that the contacts which took place regarding the forming of the constitution commission and all related issues have made great strides in determining the positions of political parties regarding participating in the national unity government.

I take this opportunity to call on all political parties to show a higher level of responsiveness and positive attitudes to taking part in the national unity government and various commissions that will be created.

– Can the political parties that did not take part in drafting the constitution join in?

Vice-president: Yes. Taking part in the constitution commission is not a good health certificate or a boarding pass to enter the national unity arena. The political groups that have boycotted, or expressed reservations or have been absent, can as required by political dialogue and so on.

We do have contacts with our brothers in SPLM to form a political committee – which has actually been formed and will be developed – to start the necessary political contacts with the political groups which want or agree with the idea of taking part in the forthcoming national unity government.

Meanwhile, during this period which finishes on 9 July, we hope that with these arrangements, we can, hand in hand, close the file of war and achieve peace in Darfur.

Negotiations will resume in Abuja on 10 June. We had numerous contacts in the past days with the African Union, the Nigerian Presidency, as the host country, the parties helping with promoting the peace process which are in Chad, Libya and others. In fact, the five-man summit held in Tripoli two weeks ago and included Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Chad and Nigeria, was an additional effort.

Here in the country, we are in contact with the political groups, foremost among which the SPLM, in order to arrange the cards to crystallize the draft political agreement, which may be a draft solution based on the peace agreement.

Once again, I call from here on the various factions in Darfur to come to the next round of talks with a true spirit of concord and settlement in order to end the war.

– Can they actually join the national unity government?

Vice-president: If we can. This is the aim we are endeavouring for, God willing. We are acting sincerely and with a true desire to reach an agreement at the next round in Abuja to take all the political parties with us to enter the national government. We will have then closed the war file, in the south, the east or the west. We will then open a new page in which we will focus on the human factor, development, to raise Sudan’s name and ensure its unity.

Material provided by the BBC Monitoring Service.