Southern Sudan rebels reject piecemeal bid to end conflicts

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 3, 2004 (PANA) — The rebel Sudan Peoples Liberation
Army/ Movement (SPLA/M) has rejected piecemeal attempts to end
the conflict in Darfur and other parts of the country.

The rebels said only the signing and faithful implementation of a
comprehensive peace agreement with the Khartoum government will
provide the basis for the resolution of conflicts in various
parts of the country.

SPLA/M Spokesman Samson Kwaje said that his group had shown their
commitment towards lasting peace in Sudan with the signing of six
key agreements, leaving only two more agreements before a
comprehensive deal is reached between the two sides.

“Our understanding is that a comprehensive peace agreement agreed
between the SPLM/A and Sudan government will bring peace to our
country if such agreement is faithfully implemented,” Kwaje said
in a statement released in Nairobi Friday.

“The agreement will provide a basis for the resolution of
conflicts in other regions of the Sudan particularly Darfur and
Eastern Sudan,” said the SPLA/M spokesman.

The belligerents are yet to reach an agreement on a comprehensive
peace agreement, a permanent cease-fire and the modalities for
implementing the final settlement, including regional and
international guarantees for the envisaged comprehensive pact.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has been
encouraging the two sides to reach an agreement to end two
decades of bloodbath in the vast Eastern Africa nation.

“Nearly all the root causes of conflict and violence in south
Sudan have been adequately addressed through the signing of the
six protocols,” Kwaje said.

“In fact, such an agreement will provide a suitable model for
resolving problems emanating from marginalisation and exclusion
in all spheres of government by the clique in the centre,” Kwaje
added.

The rebel forces spokesman, whose army has been involved in heavy
fighting with government forces over the control of Southern
Sudan, reiterated his movement’s commitment to the IGAD peace
process.

Meanwhile, Kwaje said the SPLA considers the Africa Union
sponsored talks aimed at finding a political solution to the
crisis in Darfur was complimentary to the IGAD-led peace
process.

He said the SPLA/M was ready for the resumption of the peace
talks which has been the cause of concern due to the delays in
reaching a solution.

The southern rebels’ spokesman also lamented that the crisis in
the Sudan’s western region of Darfur had overshadowed the peace
process in the south of the country, where more than 2 million
people have been killed since 1983.

“Darfur is receiving a lot of attention and it’s like the peace
process in the south has been forgotten. It has overshadowed the
current peace process in the south. I think the two (south/west
peace processes) are equally important and should be given equal
treatment,” Kwaje told PANA in Nairobi when reached by telephone.

The peace talks on Southern Sudan have stalled due to what the
mediators led by Kenya’s Special Envoy Lazarus Sumbeiywo and IGAD
officials attribute to complications related to military aspects
of a cease-fire deal.

The talks are in their penultimate stage and could soon result in
the signing of a comprehensive deal.

The Sudan foes have discussed details of an envisaged permanent
cease-fire deal during the latest round of talks, which ended
without much progress two months ago.

The talks are geared towards ending the war in southern Sudan,
which erupted in 1983 when the mainly black southern rebels took
up arms to end domination, by successive Islamic regimes in
Khartoum. The conflict has displaced four million people.