SPLM says popular militia celebration violates Sudan’s peace deal
Nov 14, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The SPLM has said it objects to celebrations to mark the seventeenth anniversary of the Popular Defence Forces (PDF) which the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) is planning to organize this month. The SPLM described the celebrations as contradictory to the constitution and peace agreement.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement leading figure and Sudanese Cabinet minister, Deng Alor yesterday told Al-Ayam newspaper, “according to the clauses of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the PDF should be disbanded. Organizing celebrations for it is a violation of the agreement.”
He further said that the SPLM would not respond to any invitation to participate in the celebrations and the movement had a clear stance against such violations. “It seems the NC does not believe in some of the Naivasha agreement’s clauses,” he added.
At the same time, a MP from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parliamentary bloc, Suleiman Hamid, tabled a motion to question the minister of defence on the status of the PDF.
Hamid reaffirmed that he had been reassured by parliament’s leaders that his motion, regarding the status of the PDF, would be included on the agenda of the current parliamentary term. Hamid had attempted to table the motion in the previous parliamentary session but it was dropped when the issue was raised to the minister of defence to prepare a response.
He pointed out it was important to determine the status of the PDF in view of the current process of democratic change. He said the Naivasha agreement had stipulated the necessity of disbanding all the militias and merging them either in the SPLA or the armed forces.
He said this further applies to 17 other armed groups currently present in the south of the country and who had not joined the armed forces or SPLA. “Seeing as the NC finances, the PDF and organized celebrations where the highest ranking state officials participate, it would be better to merge it with the armed forces,” he said.
(ST)