SPLM ministers “crippled” Sudan foreign policy

June 20, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – North Sudan foreign minister Ali Karti on Monday said that the fact that his position was previously held by ministers from South Sudan has undermined coherence of the country’s foreign policy.

Since the 2005 signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between north and south Sudan, the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of the north and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) of South Sudan shared portfolios in the federal government while the SPLM unilaterally ruled the then semi-autonomous government of South Sudan.

Under the CPA, the SPLM received portfolios in the federal government, including the ministry of foreign affairs which was first occupied by the now southern opposition leader Lam Akol and later by Deng Alor.

While presenting a routine report on his ministry’s performance to the Sudanese parliament, Karti said that the presence of the SPLM in the foreign policy dockets had “crippled” Sudan sovereignty due to “the fact that its members are connected with quarters hostile to Sudan.”

Karti told parliamentarians that some of the SPLM-appointed foreign ministers, in a tacit reference to Deng Alor, had sought to keep Sudan under international isolation and U.S. economic sanctions.

He also said SPLM ministers had sought to derail the CPA implementation by stirring up troubles with the NCP.

The SPLM-ruled South Sudan is due to declare full independence on 9 July after it voted in a referendum held in January to secede from the North.

(ST)