Salva Kiir reaffirms SPLM faith in the unity of Sudan
Feb 4, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The First Vice-President and Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) affirmed the faith of his movement in the unity of the country refuting allegations that the SPLM working for the separation of the South.
While addressing the first general conference for Sudan People’s Liberation Movement SPLM in northern Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit affirmed the SPLM’s faith in the unity of Sudan on new foundations. He said: “Our belief is in the unity of Sudan which is voluntary unity and not compulsory, and we see that the general interest is more in unity than splitting up.”
On 2 February in a meeting with Warap community in Khartoum speaking about the issue of the unity, Salva Kiir said there was two wings in the SPLM, an independentist wing and unionist one. “The late has prevailed and independentists after their defeat went to the north where they had arms and ammunition to fight the movement” The Chairman of the SPLM added. He further said that the objective of the SPLM and the southern Sudan government is to maintain the unity of the country.
Observers say the SPLM leadership understood after two years, speaking about separation after every dispute on CPA implementation with the Islamist ruling party disadvantages its audience and partisans in northern Sudan who fought and backed the movement in its difficult years of struggle.
The pro-ruling party press orchestrated in past months a campaign against the northern cadres in the SPLM in a bid to discredit them. They are described as communists and presented them as adventurers without clear objectives as the southern leadership is working for the independence.
The first vice-president and president of the government of southern Sudan has also ruled out the re-emergence of war in southern Sudan.
He said “despite there being obstacles which are hindering the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, there is no side that wants to return to war. We have moved from the period of armed fighting to that of competing through programs and work.”
Kiir said that the next battle is a one to conquers power with ballots not bullets, and the electoral battle requires solidarity and unity in order to progress forwards
The first conference for leaders of the SPLM in the northern sector began today and will include all SPLM executives and legislators in northern states.
During the two-day conference, the SPLM’s organizational structure in the north will be discussed, with the participation of first vice president and SPLM leader, Salva Kiir Mayardit, SPLM secretary-general Pagan Amum, and acting deputy secretary-general Yasir Arman.
The conference would be discussing the organizational structure of the SPLM in the north and that the executives and legislatives in the northern sector will exchange views with the SPLM leader. The conference’s slogan is Building, Change, Democracy, Unity and Diversity.
(ST)