Sudanese president urges expatriates to return, help reconstruction

CAIRO, June 18, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) — The following is an excerpt from speech by Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir at the ceremony of the signing of the agreement between the Sudanese government and the opposition Democratic Alliance in Cairo on 18 June, broadcast by Egyptian satellite TV on 18 June:

Sudan’s Vice President, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, right, reacts after signing the Sudanese reconciliation accord between the Sudanese government and the National Democratic Alliance, an umbrella opposition grouping chaired by Mohamed Osman Mirghani, left, in Cairo Saturday, June 18, 2005. (AP).

In the name of God, the Compassionate the Merciful. Thanks to God and peace be upon the Prophet. Honourable brother, Your Excellency President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, the president of the Arab republic of Egypt, the brother prime minister of the government of sisterly Egypt, the Sudanese brothers, the Sudanese leaders, brother Ali Osman, Dr John Garang and His Eminence Ali Osman al-Mirghani, the brothers members of the delegation and the negotiating delegations, peace to you all.

[Passage omitted: thanking Mubarak and congratulating the people of Sudan]

Today, the people of Sudan have the right to rejoice in this achievement which is added to what has been achieved in Nairobi on 9 January 2005. We are optimistic about this year as it is the year of peace in Sudan, the year of stability in Sudan and the year of unity in Sudan. With God’s will, efforts will continue to solve all the problems in all the different parts of Sudan. Negotiations are under way in Abuja and we all have hopes that the efforts made in Abuja will be crowned with an agreement that restores security, peace and tranquility to our people in Darfur. Efforts also continue to reach, with God’s will, an agreement with some of the sons of the east so that Sudan becomes united and we start a new stage in the history of Sudan, with God’s will.

For the first time in its history since 1955 and before the declaration of independence, we shall start a new stage in which Sudan is free of conflicts and free of disputes, with a united Sudan when it comes to its people and territories. With God’s will, we shall put our hands together and unify our efforts to build Sudan and compensate the people of Sudan for everything they have lost during the age of various conflicts.

We are committed to our programmes and our strategy, with its foremost priority to realize peace, which has been achieved, thanks to God. Its priority is also to realize national reconciliation, and today’s meeting and the agreement signed today is an important brick in the edifice of national unity. Our pledge to the Sudanese people is to continue working day and night until peace, security and tranquility are realized to start the stage of building and reconstruction, the sate of comprehensive development until we bring our people, and they deserve this, to the stage of prosperity and welfare.

[Passage omitted: praises Sudan’s citizens and resources]

We have an appointment on 9 July to form a government of national unity for the first time in Sudan’s history. We and all the people of Sudan long to see all our expatriate sons come back to Sudan. Whoever left unwillingly or left voluntarily and left as a dissident or to improve his standard of living, the conditions are now ripe to receive all of them back to work together and achieve Sudan’s revival by God’s will.

I thank again the brother, President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, and the government and people of Egypt for hosting these negotiations, sponsoring them, and for the efforts exerted to guarantee their success. Our thanks go first and foremost to God. We thank Him for this bliss with which he blessed us, that is the bliss of security, peace, stability and unity. Peace be to you.

Material provided by the BBC Monitoring Service.