US toughens stance against Sudan national security law
January 8, 2010 (WASHINGTON) — The US administration today warned Sudan that the National Security law in its current form may hinder the conduct of fair and free elections scheduled for next April.
The Sudanese national assembly passed the National Security Act last month by the mechanical majority of the dominant National Congress Party (NCP) despite objections by the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) and other smaller opposition parties that voted against the law.
Critics say that the bill enacted grants sweeping powers to the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) including the powers of arrest, search and seizure.
The SPLM chairman and First Vice president of the country Salva Kiir vowed not to sign it and urged president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir to do the same.
Marking the fifth anniversary of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) ending Africa’s longest civil war the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the NCP “must recognize that, as the dominant political party, it bears greater responsibility in ensuring the full and successful implementation of the CPA”.
“The NCP therefore must use its executive authority to suspend elements of the national security and public order laws that are incompatible with free and fair elections,” Clinton told reporters in Washington today, flanked by the special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration.
“There must be no efforts to restrict freedom of speech and assembly and there must be no prohibitions on peaceful protests,” Clinton added.
The White House echoed the position in a separate statement today describing the security law as “repressive”.
“Time is limited, the stakes are high, and there is much work yet to be done to secure a lasting peace and prevent the resurgence of a deadly war. Recent setbacks, including violent clashes in the South, the Khartoum government’s passage of a repressive National Security Act, the government’s violent suppression of peaceful protests, and the failure of the two sides to come to agreement on critical issues such as border demarcation, do not bode well for the region or for the people of Sudan”.
The US top diplomat hailed “positive” made since the CPA was signed but warned that “they are not enough to secure lasting peace” adding that “threats to progress are real”.
“Reform of key institutions has been sporadic, and true democratic transformation – envisioned in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement – remains elusive. Violence in the South is rising and tensions continue in border areas. So today, the parties in Sudan have a choice. They can revert back to a dark era of conflict or they can move forward together toward a lasting peace” she said.
She further said that the US is concerned with the increasing interethnic and tribal violence in South Sudan particularly ahead of the 2011 referendum in which Southerners will decide if they want to establish their own state.
“In Southern Sudan, no matter the outcome of the referendum, Southern Sudan must increase its institutional capacity and prepare to govern responsibly, whether as a semiautonomous region within Sudan or a newly independent nation,” Clinton added.
The US special envoy stressed that Washington does not want to see any delay in the elections beyond April because of the rains season after that.
“We would like those elections to take place in April because the rains start right after that. And we believe that if they are delayed, the rains will be a problem. In some areas the rains, as you know, will keep people from being able to get to the polling places” Gration said.
“We start registration for the referendum in Abyei and in the South in July, and it would be good if we cold separate those two events. We believe that the election gives us an opportunity to practice those elements that will be so important in the referendum. If we can get it right on how to do voter education, get the laws passed, get the commissions up and running and funded, to get the processes out just in terms of the logistics and admin of printing ballots, making sure that the system has security so people can come and go freely, to make sure it’s transparent, and to make sure that those results are passed out in a way that everybody recognizes that this is credible” he added.
Gration said that he is in contact with former South African president Thabo Mbeki who is chairing an African Union (AU) panel that oversees the implementation of a Darfur roadmap endorsed by the pan-African body and the CPA.
He added that they are looking at what the new UNAMID chief Ibrahim Gambari will be doing while voicing support to the Doha peace talks between Khartoum and the Darfur rebel groups.
However, Gration made no mention of the joint AU-UN mediator Dijibril Bassole who sources say is not in good terms with the US special envoy.
(ST)
thieleling
US toughens stance against Sudan national security law
Dear readers,
CPA is dead!! But its death was a cold-calculated death by NCP before it was signed in 2005. Therefore, NCP succeeded in its delay, obstruct and tricks on CPA-policy. The south was at war with itself since 2009. The best thing that came out of CPA indirectly was the indictment of Al-Bashier in the name of Darfur attrocities. South sudanese inspired Darfuri to revolt against the Khartoum regime. That’s all!!
Now, with the situation the way it is in the horn of Africa-Somali, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan plus Yemen on the other side of sea, U.S has its hands fully loaded. Unless, country like Egypt explode in chaos for its low-intensity cleansing 8 millions coptic christians in that country, the peace is already lost in sudan. The rest is politics. The only other best option is for south sudanese to united and delcared UDI. But that is just wishful thinking considering what south sudanese are doing to themselves. We do thank U.S for shouting aloud still, shinning lights though much of it is a political sound-bite. NCP’s competitive Intelligence wittingly sells UNITY option to the world even to the U.S through Egypt & EU. The ball is on south sudanese to be self-reliance for those few that left on the yoke of insane tribal killings to do something different.
Graton is bought, the U.S has few options considering what it is dealing with in Afghanistan & Pakistan, or even Irag. The NCP is smart enough to bring the war to U.S in both Pakistan & Afghanistan. The NCP made sure it sent its holy warriors to Pakistan & Afgan fronts to keep U.S busy far away from sudan soil. So, NCP strategically won this round unless south sudanese come up with something different we didn’t see so far in this peace-justice game in sudan. Anyone? Game theory!! Whatever your intelligence analysis!!
Time1
US toughens stance against Sudan national security law
US has always played a positive roll in the Sudan peace process, we hope the Americans will continue with that spirit of support until full peace is achieved and CPA is implemented to solve all the problems of Sudan, Clinton should also urge both sides to improve on the security and development situation on the groud.
toposaboy
US toughens stance against Sudan national security law
US should bomb Khartoum the city of evil useless creatures
That is the best and the quickest way to bring the real peace to the Sudanese people
Southerners will deal with there problem to get ready of the second useless creatures
Goes by the name Dinka Bull Dinka Toilet
Thanks
Thuesday:
US toughens stance against Sudan national security law
Security ifs the firstoption for any government, so US should understand that!
But the laws must not be hostile like the ones of NCP.
Wende Yongaptheeth
US toughens stance against Sudan national security law
It is not because we hates war or are afraid of war and that is why we donot and do not needs another war in Sudan. It is the destruction that we do not wants and now that we are being forced and the World including the USA are witness, we accept war mongering of the NIF or NCP as they wants themselves called.
This round of war or fighting is going to start in Khartoum and we will destroy Kartoum once and for all so that war is hated in the Sudan and anyone in this shanty town will return to where they came from and talks peace, criminals will be handed over to where they belonogs while the city burns and we agree for war, second rounds of war that will consume Khartoum we hope and prays that its happens.
makuei
US toughens stance against Sudan national security law
What on earth can mere words solve? I thought the US could team up with Mr. Ocampo to rid us of the devilish Mr. Bashir
Peter Malek
US toughens stance against Sudan national security law
The notorious boy does not understand unless the master holds up the whip. That is the same language the NCP can understand.