Bush offers condolences to wife of Sudan’s Garang

WASHINGTON, Aug 8, 2005 (AP) — President George W. Bush called Rebecca Garang, the wife Sudan’s vice president John Garang, to offer her condolences for her husband’s death, White House spokesman Trent Duffy said Monday aboard Air Force One on a trip to New Mexico:

Rebecca Nyandeng, the widow of late SPLM leader John Garang, addresses mourners during the funeral service in Juba, southern Sudan, August 6, 2005. (Reuters) .

“He thanked her for the hope that Mr. Garang brought to the people of Sudan for a democratic, united and peaceful nation,” Duffy said. “He also thanked her for calling for calm in Sudan. The United States is resolved to continue supporting implementation of the comprehensive peace accord to honor her husband’s vision.”

Asked whether the White House suspects that his death may in a helicopter crash Aug. 30 might not have been an accident, Duffy said “not at this point.”

He noted U.S. officials were cooperating in an investigation of the crash with Sudanese and Ugandan officials. Uganda provided the helicopter, which crashed in poor weather.

Garang, former leader of a southern rebel movement, died just three weeks after taking office as first vice president and president of southern Sudan, goals won after a 21-year civil war. His deputy, Salva Kiir Mayardit, was named as his successor in the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and will be sworn in as first vice president in Khartoum this week.