Sudan peace partners resume dialogue days after ICC ruling on Al-Bashir

By James Gatdet Dak

March 8, 2009 (JUBA) – The Joint Executive Political Committee between the Sudan’s peace partners is expected to resume debate on bills to be enacted into laws few days after the arrest warrant ruling on President Omer Al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The discussions on a number of laws between the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) were interrupted by the event of the arrest warrant on Wednesday.

Government of Southern Sudan’s Vice President and Deputy Chairperson of the SPLM, Riek Machar Teny, left Juba for the national capital, Khartoum, on Sunday to co-chair the dialogue on the peace deal’s implementation with the Vice President of the Republic, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha.

Among the law bills to be discussed include Southern Sudan referendum, Abyei referendum, and respective popular consultations in Southern Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains, all due to be conducted in about 20 months from now in 2011.

Laws on national security and press and publications are also expected to be discussed ahead of national elections expected in July this year.

Reacting to the ICC’s arrest warrant against Al-Bashir, Government of Southern Sudan called on the National Congress Party to fully implement the CPA and other agreements signed in Darfur and Eastern Sudan in order to have a meaningful dialogue with the international community on how to handle the ICC issue.

It also called on the national government to review its decision on expulsion of aid organizations from Darfur and to cease hostilities to create conducive atmosphere for peaceful and political settlement of the conflict in the region.

(ST)