Garang to meet two southern Sudan militias leaders

KHARTOUM, June 28, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) — Two of the southern pro-government militias leaders will meet Sudan people’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) chairman John Garang in Nairobi to discuss their participation in the southern Sudan government.

In the left, leaders of pro-governmental southern militia in the uniform of Sudanese army during the celebration of the Sudan peace agreement last January 2005 in Nairobi. (Sudan Tribune).

According to the Sudan Media Centre (SMC) commander-in-Chief of Sudan’s National Forces for Peace (NFP) Maj-Gen Al-Tom al-Nur Daldum and commander-in-Chief of Southern Sudan Defence Forces (SSDF) Maj-Gen Paulino Matib will today leave for Nairobi.

NFP spokesman Abd al-Fatah Mohamed told SMC that the visit of the two commanders came in response to an invitation from the Moi Center for Peace.

Al-Fatah said the two commanders would meet SPLM leader John Garang and discuss the implementation of the peace agreement signed between the government and the SPLM.

The SSDF and NFP, the biggest militias based in the south, boycotted the South South dialogue conference organised by Moi Centre in Nairobi last April.

Matib is a Bul Nuer, leader of militia based in Bentiu. He was deputy commander of the Anya Nya II in 1987 with the rank of brigadier.

The SSDF commander-in-chief, Paulino Matip, described the ongoing peace process in Naivasha, Kenya, as inadequate and incomplete. He says it will never realize any peace settlement in southern sudan if the militias are not included.

In the beginning of January 2005, Sudanese government began integrating southern militias into the ranks of its armed forces, fearing that their presence in parts of south could undermine the prospects for real peace in the country.

This integration included some 182 officers and soldiers from the pro-government South Sudan Defense Forces .

The Jan. 9 peace agreement between the main rebel force, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, and the Sudanese government didn’t include other factions from southern Sudan.