Sudan’s Bashir urges SPLM to foster political partnership
November 21, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese president and Chairman of the ruling party called on his peace partner to foster their political partnership in a manner to strengthen peace implementation. He also repeated that no return to war as long as there were little hope in peace.
Al-Bashir, gave a measured speech that was in marked contrast to his highly charged address to government-allied militias on Saturday, where he ordered to reopen training camps for the Popular Defence Forces, a paramilitary force created in the nineties to fight the former rebellion in southern Sudan.
The NCP chairman said peace will not be achieved and its pillars established except by creating awareness over this conditions and unity will not come voluntarily except through joint perception.
He also called on the NCP to work “for an effective partnership with the SPLM and all those who are part of the Government of National Unity and every body who will cooperate in the framework of peace agreements which the NCP is proud of being its founder.”
The Sudanese president also called on his political opponents to play a positive role by ssuming constructive opposition and to rise above the old differences for the sake of the interests of the homeland and its development.
He said: “I call all the political parties to forget their own interests for the sake of the homeland. I call them to leave behind conflicts between party leaders and amongst themselves and choose dialogue and consultations for the sake of the Sudanese people and homeland.”
SPLM HAILS BASHIR INITIATIVE
The deputy chairman of the SPLM, Malik Agar, has welcomed President Al-Bashir call for fostering responsible political partnership with the SPLM.
In a press statement, Agar said “We welcome any call for responsible partnership with ruling National Congress Party,” saying that the SPLM was committed to peace and implementation of the peace agreement.
Agar hailed Al-Bashir’s initiative of unifying ranks and securing national unity, saying that realization of national unity itself needs mechanism and it was wise to achieve unity in Sudan.
A growing confrontation between Khartoum and south Sudan’s main party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), has already torn apart the country’s coalition government and threatened a north-south peace deal.
SPLM ministers walked out of Sudan’s Government of National Unityon 11 October, claiming that Khartoum was stalling on the 2005 peace agreement that ended two decades of civil war.
(ST)