U.S. appoints ex-diplomat to assist in Sudan’s CPA implementation obstacles
August 25, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The United States announced today the appointment of a former diplomat to lead the Sudan negotiation support unit that is tasked with helping the North and South to resolve the outstanding issues relating to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) provisions on referendum.
In less than five months time, people from Sudan’s oil-producing south are due to vote in a referendum on whether they should secede and form Africa’s newest nation — a plebiscite promised under a 2005 accord that ended decades of north-south civil war.
It is widely expected that the Southerners will opt for secession after decades of bitter war that claimed millions of lives and feelings of marginalization by the Arab-Muslim dominated North.
However, the preparations for referendum are well behind schedule leading many observers to believe that the key vote will not materialize by January 9, 2011. Furthermore, the post-referendum arrangements are yet to be agreed on between the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan people Liberation Movement (SPLM).
The most contentious issue is the North-South border demarcation which the NCP says unless completed no referendum can be held. The SPLM warns that it will not accept any delay to the referendum under any circumstances.
“Ambassador Lyman will provide a senior-level presence in Sudan dedicated specifically to working with the CPA parties to reach consensus on outstanding CPA implementation issues, such as citizenship, border demarcation and resource sharing,” said State Department spokesman Mark Toner.
The State Department said that Lyman will join a “robust” team that will support Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson, Chargé d’Affaires Robert Whitehead in Khartoum and Consul General Barrie Walkley in Juba.
“Ambassador Lyman departed for Sudan yesterday evening, where he will join Special Envoy Gration in Sudan for meetings this week with the Sudanese National Congress Party (NCP), the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General for Sudan Haile Menkerios, Chairman of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel Thabo Mbeki and representatives of the Sudan Troika (United Kingdom and Norway),”.
The appointment was welcomed by Darfur activist groups in Washington
“This is a welcome sign for us from the administration that it needs to bring in folks with that kind of résumé,” the Enough project’s David Sullivan told Politico news portal.
“It’s a good step. We now seem to be acknowledging the successful model that helped result in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 that was negotiated by a team of senior diplomats on the ground in support of an Africa-led process.”
Sudan activists in Washington have been unhappy with Gration describing his approach as soft in dealing with the dominant NCP and lacking sufficient pressure to bring any change on the ground.
(ST)
Manyieldit
U.S. appoints ex-diplomat to assist in Sudan’s CPA implementation obstacles
This Sound good, but something need to be done about Gration the US special envoy to Sudan. This man need to be remove from the talk and completely to distanced from Sudan affairs specially CPA. He does not know any thing about Sudan history or he is just acting with self interest.
If US government want the peaceful referendum in Sudan then let the man be replace period.
Manyieldit
okucu pa lotinokwan
U.S. appoints ex-diplomat to assist in Sudan’s CPA implementation obstacles
I believe it is not very late to U.S appointed ex-diplomat to assist in the Sudan CPA implementation obstacles,since U.S government contributed very heavly in bring the Sudan peace in 2005,it will be the same America to finish the implementation.
The tactic the NCP are playing in buying time for the South Sudan Rferendum America are very Aware of it,even the other International bodies who contributed in their signitory.But south will separate whether NCP want it or not.
OKUCU PA LOTINOKWAN
Samani
U.S. appoints ex-diplomat to assist in Sudan’s CPA implementation obstacles
I think this is wishful thinking. No matter what history tells you this has nothing to do with the facts on the ground today. Many southerners especially from smaller and marginalised tribes i.e non Dinka, have already taken up arms and are rebelling against the dominated Dinka GOSS. Just because it is masked in the media does not mean it does not exist, and blaming the North or NCP does not make it go away.
The other thing our dear author seems to forget that political stability depends on economic and social security. Till today there is no governance in South Sudan, no infrastructure, schools, hospitals, government buildings, paved roads or even a tax system. The GOSS has already wasted more than $6 Billion in the last 5 years either on military spending or sending it abroad to the US, Australia and UK on government officials, their families and luxury real estate.
The GOSS relies almost completely on oil revenue that the government of Sudan gives it. The North controls the infrastructure, production, export and sale of oil. The UN estimates 50% of South Sudan’s population will need food assistance and repeated failures in agricultural schemes, unpredictable rain and lack of education and technology means things can only get worse. The South is expecting an influx of 3 million Southerners to return before the referendum which will add more strain to the situation. Being patriotic and passionate about an independent South is one thing, but you need to be pragmatic and realistic. Unless the issues are tackled the South will be another Somalia by this time next year and those same 3 million will return to the North again.
telfajbago
U.S. appoints ex-diplomat to assist in Sudan’s CPA implementation obstacles
All the efforts of President Obama’s Administration will come to naught when and only when soon he will discover that Khartoum’s Islamists will not implement the referendum comes rain or sunshine. So the big question is will Obama Administration continue its incentives policy?