Sudanese vice-president addresses political parties, civil groups at peace talks
BBC Monitoring Middle East
By Sudanese radio
KHARTOUM, Oct. 18, 2003 — While addressing a delegation of political parties and civil society organizations today at Naivasha’s Simba Resort in Kenya, the [Sudanese first vice-president] Al-Ustadh [honorific] Ali Uthman Muhammad Taha, said their presentation of views and various opinions on the proposed issues would contribute positively in the peace process.
His excellency explained the role of the executive body during the forthcoming round in the strengthening of peace and putting in place a comprehensive development plan for the sake of stability.
Meanwhile, it is expected that the leader of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement [SPLM], Dr John Garang, will address the political parties and the civil society organizations.
For more details, here is report from our correspondent in Naivasha which we have just received from there.
[Corespondent by phone]: During his meeting with a delegation of the political parties and the civil society organizations in Naivasha today, the first vice-president of the republic, Al-Ustadh Ali Uthman Muhammad Taha, emphasized the government’s commitment, throughout the past years and after the recent round of talks on the peace negotiations, sharing document concerned with the negotiation process regarding peace in the country with various intellectuals and political parties, with a view that these documents are neither government property nor the SPLM.
His excellency further said despite the presence of foreign experts and international efforts, the biggest responsibility, without doubt, falls on the Sudanese people from both sides.
Concerning the role of executive body in the coming period, his excellence noted that a comprehensive and just peace, for which everyone is working, is not restricted to the mechanism of the executive body alone, and therefore there is need to involve all political parties and civil society activists, and the arrival of this delegation is indication of that.
The first vice-president said what is going on currently (is ?strive) by Sudan to lay down guiding principles which do not leave out the Sudanese people’s public opinion and provides opportunities for participation, since the issue of nation building can be restricted to a document because the process is a continuous one.
In this case, the two sides are striving to generalization without omission and specification without limitation. He further said we are striving to lay down development programmes in line with the agreement which will pave way for political activities and provide for gist and spirit of the agreement so that Sudan becomes one, which is capable of participating regionally and internationally.
The vice-president’s comments came in response to questions from political parties and the civil society organizations, who expressed fear about some points such as constitutional rights for Muslim communities in south or Christians in north, after signing of the [peace] agreement, the proportion of wealth sharing, the role of women in the forthcoming round and guarantees for non-violation of any part of the agreement, as well as specifying the role of the civil society organizations in the coming period.
It is worthy mentioning that, that [the Kenyan peace envoy], Gen Lazarus Sumbeiywo had earlier addressed the delegation and guaranteeing the role of the civil society organizations in supporting the peace process, an issue which heralds its [peace] realization as soon as possible.
We would like to mention that Dr John Garang will address the delegation in a short while, in order to respond to question raised by the members [of the delegation].