South Sudan Machar welcomes UN resolution on Darfur forces
Sept 2, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — As a dissonant voice, the Vice-President of the government of Southern Sudan welcomed the deployment of the UN forces in Darfur. He further added “we want peace in all the parts of our country and in Darfur.
The Vice-President of Southern Sudan government Riek Machar considers the presence of the UN forces in Darfur as a positive step because it will encourage the Darfur holdout groups to join the Darfur Peace Agreement.
The UN Security Council on Thursday 31 August voted to create a UN peacekeeping force of up to 22,500 in Darfur. The resolution is intended to give more power and funding to a 7,000-strong force, now run by the African Union (AU), which has been unable to stop the humanitarian catastrophe in the troubled region.
Machar told Al-ray Al-Aam newspaper that UN resolution does not mean the invasion of the Sudan. Machar said UN forces now do exist in 13 states of the country but they did not interfere in the decision-making of any region.
Sudanese president Omer al-Bashir said more than once that this resolution aims to re-colonize the country. Machar statement meant to reply to al-Bashir allegations.
Machar advised the federal government to tackle with wisdom the UN resolution 1706 related to the UN force takeover in Darfur.
Machar accused the Sudanese government of being the cause of such decision. “the government had opened the door for the others to enter the country and this because of our deeds”.
A leading member of the SPLM, Yasir Arman said yesterday that the SPLM would work to avoid confrontation with the international community. He indicated that his party we the protection of the civilians in Darfur. But clearly he didn’t want to face up the “major” partner in the government of the national unity, the national Congress Party.
The Vice-President of the government of Southern Sudan made this statement Friday while Salva Kiir was in Khartoum.
Machar plays the role of the bad boy in the government of national unity. During the Joint NCP and SPLM political leadership meeting, Machar was the confrontation man with the National Congress Party.
Contrary to other SPLM leaders, Machar after leading 1991 split within the ranks of the SPLM signed in 1997 the Khartoum Peace Agreement. But, he returned to the SPLM in 2001with a deep resentment against the ruling NCP.
(ST)