New crisis looming between Sudan peace partners over Abyei region
Dec 6, 2005 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan’s peace partner, the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army/Movement, complained Monday 5 December of the government’s slowness in implementing peace accords.
Alor, Minister of Cabinet Affairs in the government of National Unity, said “slowness in the application of the peace agreement triggered doubts and suspicion about the stance of the National Congress Party,” the SPLA/M peace partner led by President al-Bashir.
The peace accord was signed early 2005, putting an end to Sudan’s long-protracted civil war that lasted more than 20 years.
Alor was highly critical of the government’s evasive attitude when it comes to implementing the international ruling on Abyei, located on the border between north and South Sudan, which was allocated to the south. Al-Bashir’s government has expressed reservations on the ruling.
Alor said the SPLA/M will resort to the East African Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which had sponsored peace negotiations, to exert strong pressure on the Sudanese government to implement the protocol that decided the fate of Abyei.
Alor stressed that his party is committed to the implementation of the ruling on Abyei, warning against challenging it.
“We will not accept to go back to negotiations over the region of Abyei,” but stressed that dialogue is welcomed on securing the peaceful coexistence which existed in the past before the region was disputed between north and south.
The SPLA/M, which was led by the late John Garang, fought the Khartoum government for more than 20 years for separating the mainly-Animist and Christian south from the Muslim north.
Under the peace agreement, a referendum should be held at the end of a six-year transitional phase to decide the fate of the south, whether to secede or stay part of Sudan.
(UPI/ST)