SPLM ministers rejoin Sudan national government
December 27, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The newly appointed SPLM ministers in the government of national unity were sworn in before President Omer al-Bashir. Three new presidential advisers also took an oath of office in the ceremony on Thursday.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and First Vice President Salva Kiir, swore in the new cabinet members at the Republican Palace before they went to the council of ministers to hold a symbolic and extraordinary opening session.
Sudan’s bloody two decade north-south civil war resulted in an estimated 2 million dead and only ended in 2005 with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which envisioned creating a unity government including the southern Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement.
Sixteen posts go to the SPLM in the national cabinet — seven ministers, six ministers of state and three presidential advisers.
The whole agreement was thrown into question when the SPLM ministers walked out of the cabinet in October in protest of what it said was Khartoum’s foot-dragging in implementing key points of the peace deal.
“This ceremony means the so-called crisis between the two partners is officially over now,” the Presidential Press Adviser Mahjoub Fadul said in a statement following the ceremony.
The new cabinet features several ministers from the SPLM, as well as strident government opponents, such as Mansour Khalid, who hails from a prominent northern family, and has held posts of foreign minister and education minister and has also fought the government on the side of the southerners.
“We are now looking forward to a new phase after the two parties have overcome their differences and we look to working in the coming phase to implement what has been agreed upon,” he said after being sworn in as a presidential adviser.
Cabinet affairs minister and SPLM secretary general, Pagan Amum, said that SPLM ministers are now joining the national unity government with a new spirit and high morale toward implementing the CPA. He further said that the SPLM ministers will work together within the national government to achieve peace in Darfur, and to boost the peace process, security and the democratic transformation all over Sudan.
SPLM’s return followed negotiations this month between al-Bashir and Salva Kiir in which the two agreed to resolve some of the issues that had prompted SPLM’s boycott and thrown the country’s government into crisis.
SPLM accused the government of not sharing the country’s oil wealth as agreed, not pulling troops out of southern Sudan, and remilitarizing contested border zones where the main oil reserves are located.
During talks, the two sides said they had agreed on a timetable for the redeployment of their forces and the deployment of joint units in the sensitive oil field areas.
Among issues that remained unresolved is who would control the oil-rich Abyei region, contested by northern and southern Sudan.
There have been fears that fierce rivalries over it could re-ignite north-south violence and also spill over to the western Darfur region, ravaged by its own four-year conflict in which more than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced.
(ST)
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
Manyok Mabiei
SPLM ministers rejoin Sudan national government
Dear all,
The New SPLM ministers who sworn-in in Khartoum, what kinds of law or book they’re using for oath? Is that a nature law or a Book of Koran that is based of sheria law? Because, I doubtable of Mr. Omer- al-Bashir an oath of office in the Ceremony in North-Sector? We’re needs an oath of Ceremony in South too using our laws!
Not every now and than in North-Sector using unrecognized laws. That why seems Mr. Omer-Al-Bashir tries to cunning the whole world about a peace of Sudan Ministers took oath with error identical books?
Happy a New Year to all people of God
Manyok Mabiei in exile
Chol Aleng Maguet
SPLM ministers rejoin Sudan national government
am very happy that the two partners that spearheaded the Sudanese peace agreement that claims more than two million lives and displaced more then four million that end two decades of civil war between the marginalised areas and the Khartoum goverment have resolved the outstanding issues that made SPLM pulled out its Ministers from the National Goverment in October.
It is really a major breakthrough to restored the partnership again and renewed the relationship to serve the Sudanese people to make them realised the peace and development.
And can i remind my Goverment in the Southern Sudan not to be blindfold and tricked by the cunning Arab.
The don’t stick in one point these brothers so take care in order not to be let down.
joint the National Goverment for the interest of the sudanese people.
Joseph Mabor Mapuor
SPLM ministers rejoin Sudan national government
Here comes another agreement to dishonour. Why? Because the government of the northern felons has a clear historical records of being the number one in dishonouring agreements. If you are with me you know what am talking about. Apparently, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement(SPLM) has rejoined the government of national unity only to walk out in the near future because there are no clear-cuts of commitments by the National Congress Party(NCP) that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement(CPA) will be implemented accordingly and the disputed issues will be resolved as soon as possible. Now, my message to the SPLM is not to run again from the heat of the sun(North) to the shade(South) and then back into the heat because that will leave the Party exhausted and next time you may not be able to reach the shade. What am saying is that any problems arising from the north must be confronted in the north and that will give us a strong stance against the arabs ruling minority. Lastly, we will not stop from putting pressure on Khartoum government to honour and respect the CPA and other accords as well as bringing an end to the Darfur crisis by allowing peacekeeping forces into the region.
We will fight for free and democratic Sudan or else we have a choice to make.
Long live CPA! Long live SPLM! Long live South Sudan!
Joseph Mabor