IGAD steps pressure on Sudanese foes to sign pact
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 8, 2004 (PANA) — Six African foreign ministers under the
auspices of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development
(IGAD) have stepped up pressure on the Sudanese government and
the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army/ Movement (SPLA/M)p to
reach a final peace deal.
The ministers from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and
Tanzania travelled to Naivasha, 100 km west of Nairobi to meet
the top negotiators, Ali Osman Taha, the Sudanese First Vice
President and John Garang, the SPLA/M leader.
According to a statement released by IGAD here Saturday, the
ministers asked the foes to show flexibility on the thorny issues
of power-sharing, wealth and discussions on the three disputed
regions of Abyei, Funj and Blue Nile to facilitate the signing of
a comprehensive agreement.
The Sudanese negotiators assured the ministers that they expect
to sign key elements of a comprehensive accord to end more than
two decades of war in the next few days, according to mediators,
who spoke to journalists here said Friday.
According to IGAD grouping of African states mediating in the
conflict, the Khartoum government and the rebel SPLA “reiterated
their commitment to resolving the remaining issues and pledged to
reach an agreement in the coming days.”
Disagreements over power-sharing and the status of three disputed
geographical areas have led to an extension of the current round
of negotiations in Kenya led by Taha and Garang, the SPLA leader.
“We can reach an agreement as soon as Sunday on all the remaining
issues (on the agenda of the current round),” said an SPLA
spokesman.
Mediators intimated the two sides had narrowed their differences
on whether Islamic law (Sharia) should apply to everybody in
Khartoum during a six-year transition period when the city will
serve as joint capital for both north and south.
However, even if a truce is reached in the stormy talks leading
to the signing of the texts in the coming days, another round
will be needed to secure an agreement on the details of a
comprehensive cease-fire, the modalities for its implementation
and the nature of an international peacekeeping force.
An expert in armed conflicts who spoke to PANA in Nairobi said
the signing of a comprehensive peace deal could take several
months as the parties work out on the missing links.
However, the Sudanese Foreign Minister, who skipped the session,
earlier told journalists here Thursday the parties had finalised
the talks on the three disputed areas and were working out a
final peace deal, which he said could be ready by next week.
The war, coupled with recurrent famine and disease, has claimed
at least 1.5 million lives and displaced more than four million
people according to the United Nations.
Khartoum has been accused of carrying out fierce air bombardments
in the western region of Durfur, which is allegedly an attempt to
drive away the blacks so as to create room for the Arab dominated
north to acquire fresh land.
In July 2002, the warring parties struck an accord granting the
south, Garang’s home turf, the right to a referendum after a six-
year transition period.
The wealth sharing deal calls for a 50-50 split of the country’s
wealth, particularly revenues from oil. It also spells out
modalities of how to manage government and SPLA armies during the
interim period.
The southern part of the country, whose inhabitants are mainly
Christians or followers of traditional faiths, has been embroiled
in heavy fighting with the Khartoum government since 1983 to
end its domination and marginalisation by successive governments
dominated by Arab northerners.