Sudan’s Salva Kiir reiterates his support to UN force in Darfur

March 2, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The First Vice-President reiterated his stand in favour of deployment of international peacekeepers in Darfur to protect civilians and to insure humanitarian aid to the displaced.

The First Vice-President Salva Kiir announced on Friday March 2 in an interview with al- Jazeera Satellite TV that the Government of National Unity “failed to secure the safety of citizens and their properties in Darfur, or to stop fighting among civilians, or to insure humanitarian relief to the needy ones.” To resolve the crisis, affirmed the FVP, “there must be external support.”

Angered by this public condemnation of its policy in Darfur, the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) reacted vigorously to Salav Kiir statement. The secretary of information in the NCP, Rabbih Abdelatti described Kiir position as “stand by opposition rather than a government partner.”

In October 2006, the ruling party threatened to cancel a peace deal signed with the former rebel Sudan People’s liberation Movement, saying the Naivasha accord will cease to exist if SPLM welcomes UN forces in Darfur.

The deputy leader of the ruling National Congress Party told Al-Sharq al-Awsat on October 5, 2006 “If invading forces enter Sudan and the SPLM, the partner in government, welcomes them, there will be no national unity government and the Naivasha agreements will cease to exist.”

The ruling party’s spokesperson asserted further that “the SPLM has been swinging opinions between unity and separation before and after the CPA in Naivasha; so within the same politics, the FVP said his statement.” Rabbi’ then advised “the SPLM should differentiate between the Naivasha CPA, being a partner of government, and an opposition preparation for upcoming elections.”

But Salva Kiir reminded in his interview with al-Jazeera that this is the SPLM position of principle and the SPLM maintains this stand. He explained that what is important is to protect the civilian and to provide the humanitarian aid to them adding that the government has failed in this regard.

(ST)