Sudan foreign minister says ruling NCP not serious about Darfur peace
September 3, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese foreign minister Deng Alor launched an unprecedented attack on the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) accusing it of not being serious about Darfur peace.
“The conflict [Darfur] will not be resolved through military means and parties must sit at the negotiating table” he said.
Alor also said that the NCP is not handling the Darfur crisis and stressed that grievances of Darfuris can “easily” be addressed paving the way for peace in the war ravaged region.
The statements by the Alor, who is also a key figure in the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM), may signal his deep frustration with the NCP strategy on resolving the Darfur crisis.
Last week, Alor criticized a raid by Sudanese soldiers and security officers on the Kalma refugee camp in South Darfur that killed at least 30 people and injured many more.
“The Kalma camp events will drown the country into unnecessary problems” Alor was quoted by the daily independent Al-Ahdath reporter.
The news piece that contained Alor’s statements was not cleared for publication by Sudanese security.
“We are in no need of new accusations by the international community at this time and we are not in a position to enter into internal problems more than what we already have….we need a consensus to solve our problems” the Sudanese foreign minister said.
Sudan is also faced with the developments on the justice side after the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced last July his intention to seek an arrest warrant for Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
The ICC judges have yet to make a decision which could take a few more months.
The SPLM called for the NCP to deal with the ICC and seek a political settlement in Darfur to break a possible deadlock on the possible arrest warrant.
The NCP has ruled out any dealings with the ICC though it has said it is willing to deal “indirectly” with the Hague based court.
But Alor in the Al-Sahafa interview warned that time is running out and that the government must bolster its efforts to defuse the ICC crisis before mid-October when the judges are most expected to make a decision.
The Sudanese top diplomat also downplayed chances of a Chinese intervention to protect Al-Bashir from indictment.
“We [government] should not place much hope on things that will not happen” he said before adding that China will not sacrifice its “interests” with the West for Sudan’s sake.
Sudanese officials have also expressed confidence lately that China and Russia will use their veto power to freeze Al-Bashir arrest warrant.
This week the headline news of the Al-Rae’d daily newspaper, issued by the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), came under “Chinese veto awaits Ocampo”.
The UNSC does not have the power to veto an arrest warrant issued by the ICC. However article 16 of the ICC Statute allows the UNSC to suspend the ICC prosecutions in any case for a period of 12 months that can be renewed indefinitely.
But Alor said that options for Sudan are very limited.
“There is no choice before the NCP but to deal with the ICC. Demonstrations and protests will not solve this” Alor said.
He also revealed that some figures within the NCP favor dealing with the ICC but he did not elaborate.
The SPLM figure called for a democratic government in Sudan to replace the “hybrid” NCP-SPLM one.
Alor’s blunt remarks will likely infuriate the NCP officials who look at him with suspicion and consider him a dissenting voice within the government.
The NCP sits in an uneasy coalition with the south’s SPLM forged in accordance with the Comprehensive Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005 ended two decades of war.
Al-Bashir has been reluctant to endorse Alor’s appointment as a foreign minister but bent down to pressure by the SPLM.
(ST)
deng ngang
Sudan foreign minister says ruling NCP not serious about Darfur peace
It is good hearing that the member of the cabinet house in sudan has sensed that what ‘their’ government is doing is against humanity. I personally believe that it is our right and obligation as citizens wherever we are to take up the challenges and tell the truth. This could be done irrespective of creed, religion, political affilliation, social class ladders, age, sex or whatever one may say. Mr. Alor is going to be an example to those who fear saying truth for the justice to take its course because they fear being victimised by their god-fathers. Those people sale their identity for material gain which is not the reason why they were taken to such positions. It is not bad in my opinion to defend your side as government but at some occasions it is good to look at the welfare of the common men. I know the sycopants of the ruling party will now start victimising Mr. Alor for betraying the government. Let those people also victimise Ocampo for suggesting Al-Bashir indictment.
As a sudanese I would say that all what is being done in our country at the moment is not worth hearing in other countries.
Akol Liai Mager
Sudan foreign minister says ruling NCP not serious about Darfur peace
This is the kind of foreign minister Sudanese people are proud to have.
Well done Mr Alor. But I wonder what Dr Lam Akol would say about Deng Alor performance, would he appreciate his colleague and join him in a fight to free Darfurian from NIF brutality and enjoy being an active member in the SPLM team or is he going to attack him on behave of NIF?
Mr Alor and Pagan Amum remarks do signal that SPLM has just begun another big war not with guns this time, but with programs, strategies and minds to convince Sudanese people that it has a national agenda and patriotic people like Mr Alor with multifarious skills needed to facilitate changes in a positive and productive way.
NIF narrow minded PhD Doctors may react angrily and even call for Deng Alor sacking from his position, but they will fail because Alor is in the side of justice and right and nothing can defeat right and justice.
I ppreciate Deng Alor for that.
Gatdelha
Sudan foreign minister says ruling NCP not serious about Darfur peace
people used to complain that Dr. Lam Akol is to close to NCP and that was why he was replaced with Mr. Deng Alour, but what are we seeing now is that Deng himself is not doing any thing more than what Akol used to do,even he is facing alot of isolation from NCP as his appointment as minister of foriegn affairs was forced by SPLM! So, what are guys going to do now, reappoint Akol again or continue with Deng even though he is not delivering any thing in that role!