TEXT – Sudan’s Kiir vows to follow Garang’s principles

KHARTOUM, Aug 11, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) — Sudan’s new first vice-president, Salva Kiir, has vowed to follow the “fundamental principles” of his predecessor John Garang, and to keep the former rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement united behind the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Sudan’s new Vice President Salva Kiir reads a statement after he was sworn in at a low-key ceremony in Khartoum, Aug 11, 2005. (AFP).

He said lasting peace would only come to Sudan when economic development was brought to the whole of the country, and when conflicts in eastern Sudan and Darfur were also resolved. He said he would devote all his energies, and those of the SPLM, to resolving the outstanding conflicts.

The following is the text of a speech in English by Salva Kiir following his inauguration at the Presidential Palace in Khartoum, broadcast live by Sudanese TV on 11 August:

His Excellency President Umar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir, your excellencies, distinguished guests, dear compatriots:

Much as I honoured by taking the oath of office today, this day shall also remain engraved in my mind as one of the saddest days.

Just one month ago, my dear friend, leader and brother John Garang de Mabior took the same oath as first vice-president of Sudan and president of the government of southern Sudan, only to leave us for good three weeks later.

However, the national, regional and international outpouring of grief at his death confirmed that Garang is not dead. For he who lives in the hearts and minds of millions shall never die.

To those multitudes, be they organizations, governments, political groups or individuals, who hastened to share our grief, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude.

Dear compatriots, as Nehru said, four years after the departure of [words indistinct due to brief technical hitch with public address system] a glory has departed and the sun that warmed our lives has set and we shiver in the cold and dark. Yet you would not have us feel this way.

After all the glory that we saw for all these years changed us also and as such we are. We have been moulded by him during these years and many of us took from him a small spark which strengthened and made us work on the lines he has fashioned.

So dear compatriots, the only way to do justice to Garang’s memory and be worthy of him is to follow his path and abide by the fundamental principles for which the SPLM [Sudan People’s Liberation Movement] has been fighting. That much I have said loud and clear on the burial of John Garang and I take this opportunity, now that I have taken the oath of office, to reaffirm that commitment.

National healing

Let me also say that the fundamental principles for which the SPLM, under Garang’s leadership has struggled, were not only the clauses in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, CPA, that are meant to solve the current problem of war and peace. But no less important, are the parameters which the CPA has set to save our country from disintegration and guide the ship of government to safe shores.

In this spirit, compatriots, I wish to call on all Sudanese to engage seriously in a process of national healing.

The death of Garang has unfortunately unleashed emotions of anger; some genuine, others cultivated by elements who wanted to pit one group of Sudanese against another. Let me tell you dear compatriots that social cohesion and [word indistinct] with the recognition of the other, with the toleration of all views and with tolerance within all facets. Although it is the responsibility of all the Sudanese especially the political leaders and the media to strengthen social cohesion through the proper understanding of the dynamics of unity, if they really want our country to remain united.

Government also has a major responsibility in this regards, especially the two parties signatories to the CPA. As one of the two signatories, I declare that I am able, ready and willing to bring all institutions, groups and individuals within the SPLM in line with the demands of the CPA and I trust that the other party shall do the same.

Dear compatriots, social cohesions also have its prerequisites which are well emphasized in the CPA. Among those prerequisites are inclusivity and democratic transformation.

At no point in time did we in the SPLM harbour the idea that comprehensive peace can be established only through an alliance between our movement and the National Congress. If we so did, we would have been flying in the face of reality. We would also have done injustice to the principle of inclusivity recurrently referred to in the CPA and if I so do now, I shall not be doing justice to the memory of our fallen hero John Garang.

In addition and as I have said in Juba last Saturday [6 August], comprehensive peace requires a quick resolution to the problems of Darfur and eastern Sudan. To that cause I shall exercise all the energies of the SPLM, as well as mine.

Dear compatriots, I also have a word of advice to what the CPA called other political forces, especially our colleagues in the NDA. What we have initiated by signing the CPA was a process, not an event. The CPA is not a bed of roses and even a bed of roses has thorns. Accordingly, let’s all join hands with the parties to the CPA to see that full participation in the political process is ensured and that democratic transformation moves ahead.

Political transformation goes far beyond participation in government or at the size and magnitude of that participation in the first three years of the interim period. For after those three years, the Sudanese people shall be the judge. In this respect, I wish to reaffirm my personal commitment as well as that of the SPLM to ensure the opening of the political space to all parties and groups, including the media within the parameters clearly defined in the interim constitution.

Media

Dear compatriots, at this point I also wish to address the media who’s role in consolidating peace and entrenching democracy cannot be and should not be underestimated.

However, let us also remember that to every right there is a correlative duty. The duty of the media is to observe truth and social responsibility.

Within the last week, dear compatriots, I was saddened by some of the reports speculating on the death of our leader. At time of agony, the duty of the media is not to inflame emotions by spreading rumours or wild guesses.

Let us have patience and wait for the conclusion of the investigations initiated both by the SPLM and the government of Sudan.

On the other hand, some of the media engaged in the dangerous sport of second guessing what Salva Kiir stands for. And as my words in Juba were not enough, those prophets of doom continued with their wild guesses. As I have said in Juba last Saturday [6 August], I wish to affirm that it is neither my intention to depart from the route traced by John Garang, nor to redefine the objectives of the SPLM.

As the man who signed the Machakos protocol, I remain committed to paragraph 242 of that protocol. The parties shall work during the interim period with a view to improving the institutions of arrangements created under the agreement and making the unity of Sudan attractive to the people of south Sudan.

Dear compatriots, from its inception, the SPLM leaders, of which I remain the only survivor, has fought for unity on new basis. That was the only political agenda for the movement. The partners of such unity are set in the CPA and it is the duty of the two parties to the CPA, as well as other political forces, to operationalize them by creating the atmosphere and institutions and implementing the arrangements that shall make unity attractive.

The CPA, dear compatriots, provides the last chance for Sudan’s unity and it is incumbent on all of us, including the media, to work towards realizing it on the terms of the CPA.

Development of resources

Peace and unity are meaningless without development of our vast resources to the benefit of the whole Sudan.

Before us there is a well defined agenda for socio-economic development by the joint assessment mission, JAM, and with the prime objective of poverty eradication. The international community was generous to commit itself last April in Oslo, to realization of this agenda. I, therefore, call upon Sudan’s development partners to honour their pledges.

In the same vein, I call upon national and foreign investors to come forward to enhance the development of our country for the benefit of all.

Dear compatriots, I shall be remiss if I conclude this address without paying tribute to you, Mr President, for the excellent working relation you had established with the late Dr Garang. My commitment to having such a relationship shall not be less than that of our late leader.

The people of the Sudan expect a lot from the institution of the presidency and we should live up to their expectations.

Thank you very much all of you.

Material provided by the BBC Monitoring Service.