Sudan’s SPLM has proposal to settle Darfur crisis – FM

Sept 25, 2005 (KHARTOUM) — Newly appointed Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol said Sunday his former rebel movement from the south of the country would propose a solution to the Darfur conflict to the government in Khartoum.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) “has a proposal for a peaceful settlement to the Darfur issue which will be submitted to the council of ministers for presentation to the Darfur armed movements as a government proposal,” Akol told reporters.

While declining to give details of the proposal, Akol said it was aimed at “reaching a peaceful solution to the Darfur problem in the same way the previous government solved the question of south Sudan.”

“The SPLM has good ties with the armed movements of Darfur and we want the people of Darfur to enjoy peace in the way the south now enjoys,” the foreign minister said.

Since Darfur rebels launched an uprising in western Sudan in February 2003 more than 300,000 civilians have been killed and around two million people driven from their homes, according to UN relief agencies.

The two main rebel groups from Darfur called Friday for the former southern rebels of the SPLM to be included in African Union attempts to end their conflict with the Khartoum government.

The SPLM, which fought a two-decade war against Khartoum, was last week included in a national unity government under a January peace accord.

(AFP/ST)