SPLM Pagan denies calling for Sudan’s CPA review

February 28, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — Secretary General of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) denied calling for the review of a peace deal signed between Sudanese government and the former rebel SPLM in order to contribute to political settlement in the war-torn Darfur region.

While the signatory groups of Darfur peace deal welcomed Pagan statements, some SPLM officials like Atem Garang deputy speaker of the national parliament and James Wani, speaker of the southern Sudan chamber, expressed their opposition to the proposal attributed to Pagan. Also, some southern Sudan political forces opposed the move.

The Sudan’s cabinet affairs minister, Pagan Amum, dismissed that his call to expand the participation of Darfur people in the power and wealth sharing was based on the renegotiation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) at the expense of the shares of South Sudan and areas of Southern Kordufan, Southern Blue Nile, Abyei achieved in accordance with the Naivasha agreement.

Pagan said that his recent statement at the national television on the matter last week have been deformed and raised misunderstanding. He stressed that his call meant to give the marginalized people in Darfur their share, but not at the expense of the southern Sudan.

He said in press statements on Wednesday, that he meat to say that the distribution of power in Darfur states in accordance with the CPA, granted 70% to the National Congress Party and 10% to the SPLM while the other political parties have 20%.

He pointed out that there was effective change of these ratios when the Darfur Peace Agreement was signed as the NCP ceded a portion of its share to Darfur former rebel movements which signed the DPA to increase the seats in the legislative assemblies of the three Darfur states to 73 seats; 21 seats are accorded to the signatories movements.

Pagan reaffirmed the SPLM commitment to the CPA, adding he did not call for new negotiations on the 2005 peace deal and “do not allow anyone to confiscate the rights of our people in Southern Sudan, South Kordufan, Blue Nile and Abyei achieved in the CPA”

He further said “We have continued to struggle for the CPA implementation; and we will be in the trenches to defend it”

Amum pointed out that his statements in the talk show “Hot Line” have been reported by the press and circulated in Juba with much of suspicions. He said understanding the fears of reviewing Naivasha deal and considered it legitimate particularly there are some people who are working to abort it.

(ST)