North Sudan army to quit south before 15 December
November 2, 2007 (CAIRO) — Sudan’s northern army now has until Dec. 15 to leave the country’s semi-autonomous and oil-rich south after missing an earlier redeployment deadline in July, a southern military official said on Friday.
The announcement that a new deadline had been agreed by a joint north-south military committee came during the worst crisis since a 2005 peace agreement ended Africa’s longest civil war.
Sudan’s Ceasefire Political Committee (CPC), charged with overseeing the pull out of troops under the 2005 agreement, on Thursday gave the Sudanese army up to mid-December to withdraw from the southern region.
“The Sudan Armed Forces have to be out of the oil fields. … December 15 is the last day for either one to be on the wrong side,” Elias Waya, who chairs the committee dealing with the issue, told Reuters.
“A resolution was adopted that SAF has up to December 15 to pull out of the oil fields. And the SPLA has the same deadline to redeploy from southern Kordofan,” said Major General Elias Waya, a top SPLA commander in the committee.
A Sudanese army spokesman said he had no knowledge of a new deadline, and was checking the report. Officials from the former southern rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement were not immediately available for comment.
The presence of northern troops in the south’s oil areas after the earlier July 9 deadline was one reason given by former rebels for walking out of the national government last month.
Under the terms of the peace deal, only special joint units of both northern and southern forces are permitted in the oil fields. Waya said that was still meant to happen, but analysts have said the units were still not fully integrated.
Waya said heavy rainfall and flooding across the centre of Sudan meant it was difficult for remaining soldiers from either side to move, including from areas producing some of Sudan’s roughly 500,000 barrels per day of crude oil.
He said some 5,000 militia members, formerly loyal to the northern government, had decided to join the south’s army. He said they must also cross the north-south boundary by Dec. 15.
The northern Sudanese army says only 3,600 northern soldiers are still in southern areas. South Sudan President Salva Kiir put the number at 17,000 last month.
In July, a U.N. statement, agreed by both sides, said more than 15,000 northern soldiers remained in the south.
As well as the redeployment of northern troops, southern officials have demanded that Khartoum resolve the status of the oil-rich Abyei region, fully fund a much-delayed national census before they rejoin government, and to demarcate the north-south border
Oil, ethnicity, religion and ideology fuelled over two decades of north-south civil war in Sudan, which is separate from the current conflict in Darfur.
Sudan’s two largest oil fields are in the land-locked south while refineries and pipelines are in the north.
Sudan produces 500,000 barrels of oil per day, most of which is exported, particularly to China, a nation whose influence is key to resolving the devastating conflict in Darfur, experts say.
(Reuters/AFP)
Jacob Dau Malek
North Sudan army to quit south before 15 December
First of all, let me congratulate the (CPC) for wised decision they have taken which will automatically contribute into smoothly implemntation of the CPA.
For North Sudan Army to quit South before 15 Dec,2007, it is a good news for all of us who are willing to see peace and stability in this country.
Eventually, it will solve some outstanding CPA issues, such as Oil disagreement of both parties, and in other hand will also provide free movement of personal and UN Agencies to monitor and verify issues related to CPA after been restricted by the government army forces especially the area surrounding the oil field.
CPA partners, International Community have a role to play to start puting pressures on both side, because lack of commitment has become another phenomena with our leaders, let’s keep praying to see positive changes in our beloved country Sudan.
Thanks
Jacob Dau Malek,
Aweil-NBEGS
Mou Magok
North Sudan army to quit south before 15 December
Many thanks the CPC for signing the agreement of Sudanese Army Forces to leave the oil field before December 15, 2007, Bravo!
The implementation of Comprehensive Peace agreement is now coming if you are not cheating the World.
thanks
Yirol boy
Contact: [email protected]
Augustino
North Sudan army to quit south before 15 December
THANKS GOES TO CPC MEMBERS FOR THEIR HARD WORKING ON PULL OUT SCHEDULE.
THANKS TO COMRADE ELIAS WAYA -MY FORMER COMMANDER.
MY SURPRISE AND DOUBT IS THAT THERE IS NO COMMENCE FROM KHARTOUM SIDE.
THIS DEADLINE 15/12/2007 IS GOOD FOR BOTH GOVERMENTS TO PREPARE ENOUGH FOR REDEPLOYMENT OF THEIR TROOPS IN EITHER SIDE. I KNOW VERY WELL JUBA GOVERNMENT WILL DO UP TO THE INTEREST OF CPC BUT WHAT ABOUT KHARTOUM GOVERNMENT THAT LIVES ON THE BLOOD OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE?
THEY WILL NOT AS SHOWN NOW BY THIS REPORT.
COMMANDER ELIAS WAYA CANNOT TALK OF WHAT HE MADE OUT OF BLUE BUT HE TALKED OF WHAT REPRESENTATIVES FROM BOTH SIDES HAD AGREED ON YET KHARTOUM SIDE STILL KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE ARRANGEMENT.
I AM SORRY,SAD,BORED AND FEAR THEY WILL NOT MEET THE DEADLINE REQUIREMENT.
I AM ENCOURAGING ELIAS WAYA AS A MAN I KNOW AND I HAVE TRUST IN HIM FOR LONG,PLEASE NEVER GIVE UP PUSH THEM TILL THEY DO AS CPC AND CPA WANT IT TO BE
THANKS AGAIN
AUGUSTINO IN SYDNEY AUSTRALIA.
Anyang Ngong Ayuen
SPLM SHOULD WATCH OUT
This is in response to the thursday concluded talks by SPLM pro NCP delegates on emergency rescue of the CPA which was hitting the pavement after the NCP factions failed to adhere to their testimonies of the Jan,9 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which saw the huge turn out of the international communities.I am here reckoning on the proverb that “once beaten twice shy” this the hardest task ever that the SPLM has never experience.Since the end of gun shots few years back the remaining task ahead of this two bulls of nursing the wounds of who to benefit of these oily land of sudan.The new deadline to see the khartoum government adhering to their misdeeds which recently saw the SPLM pulls its ministers from the GoNU seems to be a good move for the sake of protocols but looking at the mathematical part of the move,it leaves us with questions that will never be answered. The first constitutional(CPA) date was foul played by this partners who seems not to understand why the comprehensive peace agreement was signed and in particular why SPLM is committed into the real implementation of the CPA. For sure, if words were actions then the conducts of the CPA would have ended this long unending saga of the death of CPA. The sweet part of the late deal of 15th Dec, is that its another effort by the northern faction to delay the implementation of the CPA, how worthy is Dec, than July and for that matter how genuine is the decision that will be effected in December than would have been implemented in July, the fact is that its another purchase of airtime by our dear brothers who seems to have understood the tricks behind every shallow move they make.The SPLM should be fully aware that this micro-deal is aimed at fooling their ignorance instead of calling a spade a spade.I trust, in the fact the the crippling problem that is facing the Abyei stuff seems to demonstrate the whole issue behind the tortoise pace of Khartoum in implementing the whole agreement.So in few words SPLM should watch out before their partners exploit this potential vacuum of a new deadline.
Since this are all efforts to rescue the comprehensive Peace Agreement, we as a matter of silence for acceptance observe the terms and hence draw the automatic boundaries of war of hide and seek.
Since its the culture of the Southerners to be faithful in all the circumstances we shall do the same to rescue this thin threat of the CPA.
SPLM should therefore open its eyes and scrutinize this new date before it turn out to be a way of harmonizing the intellect of the approaching statistic/census.Otherwise we shall remain faithful to the agreement for the sake of our marginalized people of southern sudan and maybe for the sake of being truthful to our signatures in the CPA.
LONG LIVE SPLM….OUR SUPPORT REMAINS AS FRESH AS THE DAY WE WENT TO THE BUSH.
Philliphs Anyang Ngong
(the author is a law student at Kampala International University and can be reached on [email protected])
bol II
North Sudan army to quit south before 15 December
It actually sound good to almost all Citiz’ of the Sudan.
But what if the deadline gona be missed again?
Let the people see your action you the CPC and Int’ Community
Many thanks
Posted by Bol Manyang