SPLM disagrees with ruling party on the celebration of peace

Sudanese President Omar al Bashir (center) holds hands with John Garang (right) and Ali Osman Taha (left) in Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, July 9, 2005 .

July 8, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — While it was announced that 9 July is an official holiday in the country to celebrate peace agreement, the former rebel SPLM said it will boycott the celebration because it disagree with the choice of the date.

The Secretariat General of the Council of the Ministers announced that Sunday 9 July would be an official holiday all over the Sudan on the occasion of the celebrations of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

But the deputy speaker of the National Assembly, Ateem Gerang, said that Sudan People’s Liberation Movement will not participate in festivities organized on this occasion. Elle underlined that the date of 9 July is the date of the signing of the New Sudan’s Constitution and it is the date where Omar al-Bashir was sworn in president of the republic.

Ateem reminded that CPA was signed on 9 January. He further said that SPLM attached to celebrate the peace agreement on the day where it was signed.

(ST)