Sudan, SPLM to sign final peace deal by the end of the year: V. president

NAIROBI, Nov 18, 2004 (SUNA) — First Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha Thursday said the Sudanese government, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development IGAD, will present to the United Nations Security Council in its Thursday’s meeting in Nairobi, which will be devoted to peace process in the Sudan, a memorandum concluded by and agreed upon by those parties.

Sudanese Vice President Osman Taha (C) attends a special United Nations (UN) Security Council session focused on Sudan’s civil war in Nairobi. (AFP).

Taha stressed the keenness of the Sudanese government to reach a final peace agreement as soon as possible.

Addressing the opening session of the UN Security Council session which was held in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, the First Vice President has pointed out that the negotiations process has helped in the confidence building between the Sudanese government and the SPLM who are now heading for a real partnership for implementation of what has been agreed upon.

He said the two parties were now looking forward to the partnership of the international community to help them implement the agreements concluded.

He said what remained for the two parties to settle were only procedural matters on the implementation of the agreements and protocols. Taha pointed out in his address that the negotiations process was stirring legitimate concern on the part of the partners and the observers but that the outcome was a blessed good that enabled the two parties to treat all the issues and to set guarantees leading to a permanent peace in the country.

The First Vice President has described as historic event in Africa, the Security Council’s session devoted to discuss the question of peace process in Sudan and the situation in Somalia and that it reflects the concern of the international community with the peace process in the Sudan. He said the Sudan and the African continent are looking forward to this historical event and hoped it would give birth to a new dawn in the African continent.

The First Vice President has highly appreciated the attention paid by the Security Council to the security and stability of the Sudan and expressing hope that the Security Council would be an original partner in the peace process in the Sudan.

Taha expressed Sudan’s appreciation for the sincere efforts exerted by John Danforth, the envoy of President George Bush to peace process in the Sudan and which continued for three years.

He said the conclusion of the six peace protocols between the government and the SPLM was a pure Sudanese effort and that it was reached with the conviction of the two parties, saying the Sudan was committed to reach a successful conclusion for the negotiations as soon as possible in southern Sudan and all other areas of the country.

He said the Sudanese government believes that peace was an integrated process and that accordingly it has opened serious and constructive dialogue with all the political forces in the Sudan.

He said he agreed with the statement made by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kof Annan, that dialogue would lead to a broad based government that would include all the forces that were not present in Naivasha.

He said the Sudanese government entered into talks without any preconditions on the question of Darfur in N’djamena, in Addis Ababa and in Abuja, stressing that all violations to the agreements concluded were committed by the other side.

He called for the formation of a joint mechanism with the United Nations, to be assisted by observers from the African Union, to probe those violations.

On the question of Darfur, the First Vice President has pointed out that the government position stems from clear policies for treatment of the humanitarian situation in cooperation with the international community. He said the agreement concluded in Abuja would reinforce the efforts of the government and the international community for alleviating the suffering of the civilian population in the area.

The First Vice President has hailed the efforts being exerted by the African Union and Nigeria in particular for bringing in stability in Darfur. He said the second axis of the government policy towards Darfur is working for halting the fighting and all forms of hostilities, affirming the government welcomes the Abuja protocol and that it would work to implement it.

As to the third axis for the solution of the Darfur question, the First Vice President pointed out that this would involve conducting political dialogue with all the armed groups, saying the government was determined to complete this political dialogue for reaching a comprehensive negotiated settlement.

He said the government view as for the solution of the Darfur question emanates from the Naivasha protocols that set the base for a decentralized government within the framework of a federal system with wider participation and wider power and hat this would be coupled with an equation for the division of wealth and national resources a matter that would respond to the aspirations of the people of each state and each area of the country.

On the issue of development, the First Vice President said the Sudanese government would like to inform the Security Council that the government view therein is based on returning the situation to normalcy and on a political settlement and the realization of a sustainable development in the area.

The First Vice President has also meanwhile revealed that the government has prepared a development and services map that would help boost the efforts currently being exerted by the government.

He said this map is composed of two parts, one dealing with urgent services and would cater for the return of displaced persons and refugees to their areas and it would necessitate disarming the fighters and absorbing them in the civil life while at the same time it would mean giving a special attention to the services and infrastructures devastated by the war such as the field of education and health and water.

He pointed out that in this regard the government was planning a number of projects with specific costs in which the international community would be taking part and that they would be implemented upon the conclusion of the peace agreements.

He said the second part in the development map involved a short term development and covers a period of three years during which agriculture development projects would be implemented and the basic necessities for the various sectors would be provided and that the cost of this part is put at 1.8 billion dollars.

He said the improvement of services and development would complement the political efforts for the solution of the Darfur question and would help with the social coexistence at the level of local communities. He said a government which has exerted such efforts in Naivasha would not come and effect destruction in other areas of the country.

The First Vice President has describe the war in Darfur as a political war involving local powers backed by foreign circles that profit from the local contradictions in Darfur and that desertification and drought have equally contributed in setting the fire of the war in Darfur. He said the war in Darfur was meant to impede the peace process in Naivasha.

The First Vice President has stressed that the same political will the government has shown in the south would be exerted in Darfur, saying the government was determined to move to the phase of peace and stability based on justice and on the partnership with the international community.

He said at the conclusion of the statement that the peace present for the Security Council would be coming soon, thanking all those who have contributed to the peace process in the country.