Sudan’s Kiir confirms continuation of talks with NCP over CPA implementation

December 4, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese First Vice President and President of southern Sudan government denied that talks between his party, SPLM, and the dominant National Congress Party have reached a deadlocked point over the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

The SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum told the press on Tuesday said the discussions between the two peace partners over referendum process at the level of the joint political committee are deadlocked. He also said they are considering to refer the issue to the IGAD.

Pagan said the SPLM and the opposition forces decided to put pressure on the NCP adding they would organize a demonstration on Saturday to demand CPA implementation and adoption of laws related to democratic transition.

Salva Kiir Maydrit in an interview with Aljazeera TV said dialogue with the NCP is continuing for the settlement of differences existing between the two partners.

On Wednesday, Ibrahim Gandour, head of the NCP political secretariat dismissed Amum statements reaffirming that bilateral talks are continuing and described the remarks of the SPLM official as “talk for media consumption”.

With regard to the ban imposed on the SPLM-DC led by the former foreign minister Lam Akol, Salva kiir defended the directive issued to southern Sudan governors ordering them to no cooperate with the SPLM-DC.

He said the SPLM-DC has no right to exercise any political activity in south Sudan, because it is “an armed movement”.

Yesterday Akol said Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the appeal he had submitted against the Government of South Sudan.

On November 9, Dr Luka Monoja Tombekana, GOSS minister of cabinet affairs, ordered the governors of all the ten southern Sudan states instructing them to allow the activities of all political parties “except the so called SPLM-DC”.

(ST)