Opposition backs pact between government, rebels
BBC Monitoring Middle East, Oct. 10, 2003
Text of report by Mustafa Amarah in Cairo entitled “Muhammad Uthman al-Mirghani, leader of the Opposition National Democratic Alliance to Al-Zaman: The Sudanese opposition blesses the Khartoum agreement with Garang” published by London-based newspaper Al-Zaman on 9 October
Muhammad Uthman al-Mirghani, leader of the Sudanese opposition alliance, has said the opposition supports the agreement reached between the Sudanese government and [rebel Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement leader John] Garang’s movement on security arrangements. He said his meeting with Vice-President Ali Uthman Muhammad Taha dealt with controversial issues regarding participation of the opposition and the Sudanese political leaders in the next stage.
In a statement to Al-Zaman, Al-Mirghani said the agreement was a great accomplishment. He added:
“We hope it is a positive and major step towards reaching a comprehensive and final solution to the entire Sudanese crisis, which has gone through many stages. This is currently being discussed. The leadership of the National Democratic Alliance will hold an important meeting so that ideas can be crystallized and an agreement reached, on cooperation and support for the peace process in Sudan at the highest level. The leadership will listen to all ideas.”
He added: “There is principled support for the negotiations. We said this while the negotiations were going on and even before the agreement was written down. We now support the agreement reached, especially since the [Sudan] People’s [Liberation] Movement is a very important party to this agreement. However, we still consider the agreement only a step that needs full support in all areas.”
He said the issue of the alliance’s participation in the negotiations is being discussed and it may join them before or after signing. He added: “We are now holding continuous meetings to discuss this issue. The vice-president gave us the signal when he arrived in Khartoum. He also gave it to John Garang.
“This is not an agreement between the [Sudanese People’s Liberation] Movement and the Sudanese government only; it is an agreement for all the Sudanese people inside and outside Sudan. We are trying to support and enhance it in all areas so that it will proceed in a correct and peaceful manner without any foreign interference.
“The National Democratic Alliance strongly adheres to the option of a just and comprehensive peace and the resolution of the entire Sudanese crisis. We have been calling for this for many years and even before the Machakos agreement when we said we are for an end to war and for sitting at the table of negotiations in order to give all parties their rights peacefully. We support and bless peace in all the directions it takes.”
Regarding his meeting with the vice-president, he said: “All these meetings are good signs. They show that the Sudanese first vice-president is eager to inform the political forces about developments directly and effectively. This in our opinion is a very good initiative, particularly toward our brothers in the [Sudanese] People’s [Liberation] Movement, who are also eager to inform the influential political forces within the alliance of anything upon which agreement is reached.
We said the talks must be evaluated by a council of partners. This council will be a means to expand consultation and discussion. We suggested this and said it is very important to give a role to our neighbours in North Africa, whether Egypt or Libya, and the Arab neighbors.
They must be present in all these developments because there are committees observing the cease-fire and other issues. There must be some sort of participation so that the picture will be complete and there is some sort of real balance within the framework of the Sudanese peace.