South Sudan MPs want Ugandan mediation to setlle peace crisis
November 2, 2007 (KAMPALA) — Members of parliament from southern Sudan appealed to the Ugandan government for an immediate mediation for an end to the standoff between the Khartoum government and the autonomous southern authorities.
Gatkuoth Kuich, leader of a four-member delegation visiting here, presented their request to Uganda’s Speaker Edward Ssekandi on Thursday, appealing for “immediate involvement” to end the conflict.
“We request your government to help us mediate the talks with Khartoum in order to implement this comprehensive agreement,” Kuich was quoted by Daily Monitor on Friday as saying.
“We are committed to the peace process. We have been urged not to go to war and we urge you to support us by asking the Khartoum government to do the same,” he added.
The southern Sudanese legislators are in the country to strengthen relations with Uganda in areas of peace and unity, trade, education and sports.
In 2005, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed to end 21 years of civil war between the Khartoum government and former rebels Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLA).
Under the agreement, members from the SPLA hold at least a third of the positions in Sudan’s government. They were also supposed to share resources especially revenues from oil.
However, on October 11, the SPLM pulled out of Sudan’s unity government, claiming that the party of President Omar al-Bashir had failed to adhere to the CPA.
The southern Sudanese authorities last year successfully mediated and hosted the most promising peace talks between the Ugandan government and its rebel the Lords’ Resistance Army, aimed at ending a two-decade conflict in northern Uganda.
(Xinhua)