Sudan prepares for Garang succession amid US concern over peace

NEW SITE, Sudan, Aug 2 (AFP) — Salva Kiir prepared Tuesday to replace the charismatic John Garang as head of Sudan’s southern movement after his death in a helicopter crash rocked a fragile peace process and drew calls for restraint.

Supporters and relatives pray in the room where late John Garang’s body is laid out in New Site village in Southern Sudan August 2, 2005. (Reuters).

Riots had broken out in Khartoum following the announcement of Garang’s death on Monday and medical sources Tuesday morning put the death toll at 42 people.

Two senior US envoys meanwhile headed to Sudan to shore up the implementation of the January peace deal that ended 21 years of north-south civil war and under which Garang had been appointed first vice prime minister in a unity government.

Top officials of Garang’s southern former rebel group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), convened in his former headquarters in the town of New Site late on Monday and elected Salva Kiir to replace him at the helm of the group.

“The SPLM leadership and the SPLA military command affirmed General Salva Kiir as the chairman of the SPLM and commander in chief of the SPLA,” the movement said in a statement after their meeting.

“Therefore he is the nominee to the position of the first vice president of the republic…,” the statement said, citing the Sudanese interim national constitution, which was ratified last month.

Kiir, the SPLM’s number two and the chief of general staff of the SPLM’s military wing, may be a highly-regarded military officer but his lack of political acumen and leadership qualities hobble his ability to fill Garang’s post.

State foreign minister Najib al-Khaeir Abdelwahad confirmed on Tuesday that “it will be Salva Kiir succeeding Garang, but no date had been fixed yet for his installation.”

SPLM/A spokesman Pagan Anum said “Salva Kiir will be appointed in two weeks’ time,” in interview published on Tuesday in the Sudanese independent daily Al-Rai Al-Am.

Both the SPLM/A and Beshir have vowed to proceed with the peace process despite the death of one of his main proponents and architects.

But the hurried departure US top envoys reflect concern that Garang’s death could weaken efforts to keep the peace in the war torn African country and end the crisis in its Western Darfur region.

Connie Newman, assistant secretary of state for African affairs, and Roger Winter, special representative for Sudan, were slated to hold talks with officials in Khartoum and in the country’s south.

State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the pair “will be going to southern Sudan and to Khartoum to confer with the parties and encourage them to maintain momentum on the comprehensive peace agreement and on Darfur.”

He said they would meet with “a wide range” of government officials and SPLM representatives but did not say specifically whether they would see Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir.

President George W. Bush praised Garang in a statement Monday as “a visionary leader and peacemaker” who helped strike the landmark January deal in January to end more than two decades of civil war between Khartoum and southern rebel as urge the Sudanese to stay away from violence.

The United States has worked hard to nail down the north-south peace pact and to end what it has called genocide in the western region of Darfur that has left up to 300,000 people dead and 2.5 million homeless.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited the country for talks with Garang and other officials on July 21. Her deputy, Robert Zoellick, has made three trips there since April.

US officials said they were heartened that despite Garang’s death all parties appeared intent on keeping the peace after ending what was Africa’s longest-running civil war.

“At this point we certainly don’t have any indication that anyone is looking to use this as an excuse to break from the agreement or renege on the various aspects of implementation,” a State Department official said on condition of anonymity.

He underscored the late Garang’s effort to push for peace in Darfur.

The death toll following Khartoum riots Monday climbed meanwhile with at least 42 reported deaths, hospital sources told AFP.

But a European diplomat in Khartoum estimated there were some “20 to 25 dead in each of Khartoum’s neighboorhoods. A great number of bodies were still lining the streets late on Monday.”

Riots also broke out in southern city of Juba on Monday but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Amun said on Tuesday Garang would be buried in Juba — the town he had chosen to be the capital of an autonomous southern Sudan. No date was set for the ceremony.

Quiet returned to Sudan Monday evening. The army deployed throughout the capital city and a 12-hour curfew was imposed until 06:00 am (0300 GMT) Tuesday.