SPLM officials to rejoin Darfur governments
October 13, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — After more than seven weeks of indecisive discussions, leaders of Sudan’s two major partners reached agreement today on the return of the resigned SPLM ministers and legislators in Darfur governments to their positions.
The Two partners of the Government of National Unity, the National Congress Party and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement agreed Monday that Darfur states ministers who resigned from their posts after the killing of displaced in Kalma camp should rejoin their ministerial positions immediately.
Around 18 SPLM officials, in Darfur states had resigned from their Executive and Legislative positions to protest the excessive use of force by the Sudanese troops that resulted in the murder of dozens of IDPs in Kalama camp on August 25.
The SPLM officials who quit called Kalma attck a “clear violation” of the Darfur peace agreement (DPA) before holding the South Darfur government responsible. “This assault is meant to destroy the peace. SPLM has nothing to do with it and was not aware of any plans to raid the camp,” they said.
Sudan’s Justice Minister, Abdel-Basit Sabdrat on September 2 ordered the formation of a commission of inquiry in the events of Kalma camp in South Darfur state. He appointed Senior Adviser Babiker Abdel-Latif as chairman of this panel.
The two partners said in a joint declaration issued today in Khartoum that the agreement was part of the joint consultations in order to reach a just and peaceful solution to the Darfur issue.
The joint Declaration was signed by Yasser Arman for the SPLM and Mahdi Mandour for the National Congress.
The Sudanese authorities justified the raid on Kalam camp by claiming to have received reliable intelligence about weapons smuggled recently into the camp which is at a strategic position because of its proximity to the Nyala airport and railways.
The attack came more than a month after the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced in mid-July that he requested an arrest warrant for the Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir.
International experts also say more than 300,000 were killed and 2 million have been driven from their homes by the conflict in Darfur, a region that is roughly the size of France.
(ST)