Sudan peace partners vow to contain clashes on North-South borders
January 6, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) pledged to cooperate in containing some of the worst fighting on the North-South borders that claimed the lives of dozens of people since December.
Pagan Amum, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and SPLM secretary general, said that the SPLA and Sudan army “should work together to defuse security unrest triggered by groups that belong to neither sides”.
Amum toured the Southern Kordufan and Northern Bahr Al-Ghazal regions along with Sudan’s minister of defense, Lt-Gen Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein.
Clashes had first erupted between Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) and tribesmen, backed by militiamen last December. SPLA alleged that the tribesmen and the militias attacked a Southern army garrison although the tribesmen say they were bombarded first.
The hostilities created fears that they would further weaken the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the North and the South.
Amum and Hussein stressed that both sides are committed to the implementation of the CPA and that there would be “no return to war”. However they acknowledged that disarmament of the locals is a major challenge exacerbated by the deep rooted tribal traditions.
Amum called on the locals to refrain from “rumors and negative influences that contribute to the escalation of the situation.
The CPA signed in 2005, granted southern Sudan six years of self-rule, after which it will vote in a referendum on whether to remain part of Sudan or secede.
(ST)
John Amule de Lokolong
Sudan peace partners vow to contain clashes on North-South borders
In my opinion SPLA where not there to fight any one neither Arabs nor tribesmen but why do those millitias attempt to get involve in this recent attack? while they are body of NCP.are those millitias having their own rules or they are under NCP.so let NCP make sure that his fundamental rules must be clear and he must have one single body as NCP not pravite millitias otherwise he will be consider as he has a secret idea aganist SPLA.SPLA is one single unity of southern with one ambition not having same other branch sny where,its only in south so you NCP convert your tails to your body and make it single so that people can beleive you as a real NCP.