Sudan committed to peace in south and pursuing solution to Darfur crisis

KHARTOUM, Jan 2 (AFP) — Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir Sunday reiterated his commitment to implementing peace accords with southern rebels and to pursuing a settlement to the Darfur conflict.

Escorted by security personnel, from left, Sudanese President Omar El Bashir, Kenya’s Vice President Moodi Awori and South African President Thabo Mbeki, walk to witness a signing agreement ceremony in Naivasha, Kenya, Friday Dec. 31, 2004. (AP).

“The challenge we will face after signing the peace agreements will be implementation of the agreement and safeguarding peace,” Beshir said at a joint press conference with South African President Thabo Mbeki.

Khartoum and the southern SPLM/A rebel movement signed a protocol on Friday paving the way for a peace deal to end Africa’s longest-running war.

Beshir said arrangements for implementing the agreement would be made during the six months preceding a six-year transitional period leading to a vote on independence for the south.

The Sudan war erupted in 1983 when the southern rebels rose up against Khartoum to end Arab and Muslim domination and marginalisation of the black, animist or Christian south.

Beshir also said that he was determined to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in Sudan’s western Darfur region, saying that peace negotiations in the Nigerian capital Abuja had already resolved many issues and that political, economic and social protocols were now being discussed.

Khartoum “has put forward proposals for resolving those three issues”, he said, without providing further details.

Mbeki said that the African Union is responsible for resolving the Darfur conflict and that AU members including South Africa would complete the mission.

“It is the African Union that is charged with resolving the conflict in Darfur and the challenge we are all facing is that the African Union will be able to carry out this mission,” Mbeki said in response to a question on his country’s role in finding a solution to the conflict.

He said South Africa was considering sending more ceasefire monitors to Darfur following an AU request.

“The African Union undertakes the responsibility of reaching peace in Darfur and we, as members in the Union, will support it to discharge this job,” said Mbeki.

Mbeki was expected to leave Sudan Sunday evening at the end of a four-day state visit during which he took part in independence day celebrations, attended the signing of the southern peace deal at Naivasha in Kenya and travelled to Darfur to see the situation there.