Central Sudan armed rebel group welcomes peace accord
By independent USAID-funded Sudan Radio Service
YEI, southern Sudan, Jan 14, 2005 — An armed anti-government group in Kordofan central Sudan has welcomed the signing of the comprehensive peace between the government of Sudan and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
Speaking to Sudan Radio Service on telephone, the chairman Abd-al-Rahim Al-Bashandi, cautioned that the accord only solves the problems of the south and does not address other areas of the Sudan.
He also said that he hopes SPLM leader John Garang will address the problems of other marginalized areas once he is sworn in as the first vice president.
Al-Bashandi said “We are very happy by the signing of this agreement which ended 21 years of war and we do believe that if Dr Garang becomes the first vice president he will look into the problems of the marginalized and solve them because he himself has been marginalized.”
The national movement for all the marginalized people was formed 6 months ago to address the plight of marginalized people all over the Sudan, especially the north, east and western regions.
According to Al-Bashandi the movement controls almost 45 per cent of Kordofan State and recently attacked two oil sites in the west.
Material provided by BBC Monitoring Service.