Sudan Peace partners ends talks over divergence on Abyei

November 11, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) said they prematurely agreed with the peace partner Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) to suspend the work of the six members’ panel because of divergence over its competence on Abyei.

A high-level six-member committee started talks on Tuesday to seek a final deal to end a political crisis over implementation of a north-south peace agreement. The panel had to discuss the issue of Abyei, north-south border demarcation and troops redeployment.

Presidential decrees were expected to be issued to confirm whatever was decided by the committee, and all the decisions made should be implemented by Jan. 9 at the latest.

However, Al-Diridiri Mohamed Ahmed, a NCP member in the committee told the Sudanese TV tonight that the parties decided to suspend the negotiations. He indicated that the SPLM considerers the six member panel fully competent to discuss the difficult issue of Abyei during three days.

Dirdiri further said NCP delegation maintained that Abyei row is to be resolved by the presidency before the end of December as it is agreed between the heads of the two allied political forces.

The six members committee was set up following an initial agreement on November 3 between president al-Beshir and vice-president Salva Kiir to seek a way out of the CPA implementation deadlock and the withdrawal of the SPLM from the national unity government on October 11.

SPLM vice-president Malek Agar told the press that “The six-member committee suspended its work because of differences on how to deal with disputed matters and the persistence of disagreements on the application of the CPA.”

However, Agar said the joint committee’s suspension of work was not “the end of dialogue” aimed at ending a crisis sparked by the southerners’ walkout from the national unity government on October 11.

(ST)