TEXT: Sudan presidential agenda on CPA implementation for 2007

October 22, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan Second Vice President outlined the steps that were already in place to ensure speedy implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

During the press conference in Khartoum by Ali Osman Mohamed Taha over the weekend he expressed surprise at the decision by SPLM to withdraw from the government saying that all issues were being reviewed by committees already in place.

On October 11th the SPLM decided to suspend their participation in the national unity government because of what they describe as the NCP’s failure to fully implement crucial elements of the CPA.

The latest move by the SPLM raised concern that the Comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) that ended two decades of civil war between the Arab and Muslim-dominated north and the mainly Christian and animist black southerners may unravel.

The Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir responded to the SPLM’s decision by reshuffling three ministerial posts, two presidential advisors and six state ministers. The reshuffle was one of the key demands by the SPLM to revoke their decision and resume their participation in the government.

However SPLM officials said that they will not return to the government before other issues are resolved including the redeployment of troops from the south to the North and demarcation of borders.

Below is the agenda of the f the meetings of the Presidency of the Republic up to the end of the year 2007 with regard to the follow-up of the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

(ST)

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1. Nomination and endorsement of nominees for the Council of Parties;

2. Nomination and endorsement of nominees for the Commissions for Evaluations of the Agreements of South Kordofan and Blue Nile;

3. Approval of the Act on the Council of Development of Languages by the Assembly as well as Nomination and endorsement of nominees for this council;

4. Completion of understanding between the two parties on the amendments on the Act of the Human Rights Commission (Joint Political Committee);

5. Approval of National Elections Act by the national commission for constitutional review as well as reaching common understanding on the members of the commission;

6. Approval of the Lands Commission Act by the National Commission for Constitutional Review as well as reaching common understanding on the members of the commission;

7. Progress of work for conducting the national population census;

8. Administrative, financial and security support for the field work of the borders’ committee ( meeting of the concerned Governors, commanders of the joint forces and units as well as commanders of the Security, Police and Armed Forces and the SPLM Army);

9. Progress in the implementation of the Security and Military arrangements Protocol: o Completing deployment of the joint unit; o Redeployment of Armed forces and the SPLM’ Army; o Steps for the integration of the joint forces; o The Flow of financial support;

10. Convocation of the Donors’ Conference in Khartoum (preparation and coordination between the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of International Cooperation and the Joint Interim National Team);

11. Political Partnership:

– The joint political Committee:
– The Issue of Abiyie;
– Issues pertinent to the power and jurisdiction of the national
government, Government of South Sudan and governments of states
and the link between the government levels. b- The joint political
committee:
– Elections;
– Darfur;
– External relations;
– Information and media;
– Other issues of the committee (common understanding on amendments in the Act of the Human Rights Commission, as well as the social cooperation programmes.)

12. The voluntary repatriation of the displaced and refugees;

13. Presidential visits to the Northern and Southern States.

14. Celebration of the anniversaries of Independence and Peace Days in January 2008