Sudan foes near full wealth-share deal -mediator
By Wangui Kanina
NAIVASHA, Kenya, Dec 22 (Reuters) – Sudanese warring factions negotiating an end to Africa’s longest conflict have settled almost all their differences on how to share wealth once peace comes, the chief mediator said on Monday.
The mediator, retired general Lazarus Sumbeiywo, said a deal on wealth-sharing might be signed as early as Tuesday, a move that would remove a key hurdle on ending a 20-year-old war in Africa’s largest country that has killed two million people.
“A signing might or might not happen (on Tuesday), depending on how the two sides resolve the outstanding issues on wealth- sharing,” Sumbeiywo, a Kenyan, told Reuters.
“They say they have 10 percent left out of all the wealth- sharing issues (yet to settle),” he added. “The committees (of negotiators) are still meeting.”
Sudan’s government and rebels agreed in principle at the weekend on how to share oil revenues, but a full accord would also settle differences on topics such as control of talks with foreign oil firms over investment terms and on the role of the central bank.
Nearly two years of talks between the northern-based government and southern Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) rebels have produced deals on some issues, but sharing wealth is one of three outstanding topics.
The latest round of peace talks between the government and SPLA began in early 2002 and recent sessions have taken place in the picturesque Rift Valley resort town of Naivasha, northwest of Nairobi.
The combatants have already agreed to split state and religion, form a postwar army and let the south hold a referendum on independence after a six-year interim period.
The main outstanding issues are sharing wealth, dividing power, and the status of three contested areas.
Negotiators said the proposed agreement on oil revenues broadly sees a 50-50 shareout between the government-controlled north and an SPLA-controlled southern regional authority during a six-year transitional period.
Sudan’s main oil fields, Heglig and Unity, are in the south. The country exports 300,000 barrels of oil per day.
Mediators, especially the United States, have been putting pressure on both sides to get a final deal covering all issues by the end of the year, even if it is only a framework accord.