NCP partners show strong support for Sudan peace initiative on Darfur
October 16, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – The political partners of the ruling party on Thursday indicated their support for a government-led peace consultation on Darfur being held in Khartoum.
Salva Kiir Mayardit, chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), and Minni Arcua Minawi, chief of a former rebel Sudan Liberation Movement faction, attended the “Sudan’s People Initiative” conference at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum.
The First Vice President of the Republic, Salva Kiir Mayardit, said at the inaugural session of the conference that he hopes that it would be a real addition to peace in Sudan.
Kiir urged merging the initiative with an Arab-led initiative that Qatar plans to host. He said that neighboring countries, the AU and UN should participate to reach a comprehensive solution.
The initiative to solve the five-year war in Darfur was announced on July 13, the eve of the day that International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo sought an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir on ten counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The opening session meeting was attended by top officials representing Egypt, Libya, the Arab League, the African Union and Qatar, foreign diplomats as well as a number of Sudanese political parties.
However, none of the current rebel leaders attended.
Minawi himself was away from Khartoum more than four months to protest the ill-implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), and only repaired his tense relationship with the government after negotiations with Vice President Taha on September 19.
His remarks Thursday indicate the end of his crisis with the regime and a return to his presidential office, where he is nominally a Senior Assistant of the president and chairman of the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority.
Minawi addressed the forum Thursday, affirming the importance of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), which he had signed with Khartoum in May 2006. Minawi noted that the DPA secured rights for the people of Darfur and compensations for affected citizens.
Minawi explained Thursday that he made efforts for the armed movements to join the peace process. The former rebel chiefs during his four months stay in Darfur met with non signatory rebels, it was also reported that he went to the Chadian capital to attend a rebel meeting there but he dismissed the travel.
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Daniel Kalaka
NCP partners show strong support for Sudan peace initiative on Darfur
Not every decision made make change at a goes ,but what needed is to see the changes on the ground and what precaution have been taken to support such initaitive .The support initaitive is just like Abyei road map it can not yeild good harvest at all , life have been born but had been not create people’s interest had gone
Call me comrade Kalaka
Malish JP
NCP partners show strong support for Sudan peace initiative on Darfur
I wonder why Bashier is launching such initiative when local peace does not exist in Darfur and people of are killed Darfur in camps. Bashier sometimes pretends to be a politician but the truth is Bashier has no difference with Idi Amin of Uganda, Hitler, Mobutu mentioned! How could you talk of peace today and in the night gun shoots are heard and number of casulties reported? Sometimes I get puzzled of how politics take shape in Sudan. Lets see how this will workout this time, otherwise am sure we are buying time and blood of innocent individuals. Nobody is rich enough to buy his past! Bashier watch out soon………! May Allah arrest those who killed innocent people.
The writer is a Southern Sudanese engaged in civil society activism. He can reached at [email protected]