Abyei settled by PCA, constitutional conference to apply the CPA
THE SUDAN HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION – CAIRO
July 22, 2009
The Sudan Human Rights Organization Cairo congratulates the People of Sudan for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Abyei by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague.
The Organization believes that the PCA decision constitutes a significant step to ensure the stability and democratic transition in the country, in general, and the Abyei region, in particular. The PCA decision is further promising to help moving the country towards implementation of the other major agenda of the transition to democratic rule, only with principled implementation of the CPA by the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) side-by-side with the opposition umbrella the Tahalauf al-Qowa al-Wataniya, the National Forces Alliance.
Enshrined in the spirit and provisions of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, both the GoS and the GoSS are required to enact the laws organizing the upcoming referendum in South Sudan; complete the national count of the population by proper census; establish national commissions for human rights and the civil service; remove all suppressive laws, especially the public order and the criminal law; resolve the crisis in Darfur by participation of all rebel groups and opposition parties; respect the economic rights of farmers and professionals in the Gazira Scheme, Managil and the others; and ensure the full enjoyment of the Bill of Rights for people without partisan attitudes to run the national democratic elections, properly.
While these fundamental tasks have not been accomplished by the two peace partners in close collaboration with the opposition parties and civil society groups as stipulated by the CPA, the PCA settlement of the Abyei dispute provides a viable opportunity for the two governments to convene a non-partisan democratic conference on equal terms with the opposition to end the ongoing constitutional crisis.
SHRO-Cairo urges the Khartoum rulers, the GoSS, and the opposition Tahaluf to make success of the proposed conference under the auspices of the United Nations, the African Union, the Arab League, the United States, the European Union, and the other Friends of Sudan.
(ST)