Jubilation as rebel leader arrives in south Sudan capital

RUMBEK, Sudan, Jan 22 (AFP) — Amid scenes of wild jubilation, the head of the former rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) arrived Saturday in the new provisional capital of southern Sudan for the first time since signing historic peace deal.

Jubilant Sudanese youth in traditional attire sing and dance during the signing of a final peace accord beteween the Sudanese government and the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) in Nairobi, Jan 9, 2004.(AFP).

Several thousand people were packed into the town’s Freedom Square to welcome John Garang on his return, while along the route dozens of bulls were offered to him as gifts by the population.

Garang, set to be named as Sudan’s new vice president, will install in Rumbek a transitional administration which will take charge of the region after the Khartoum government and his rebels signed a final peace accord in January in Kenya.

The agreement ended Africa’s longest-running civil war, which claimed the lives of 1.5 million people displaced four million more in 21 years of conflict between the Muslim-dominated government and the mainly Christian south.

As Garang arrived at the town’s landing strip, locals slaughtered a white bull in a traditional welcome and Garang, in line with the regional custom, stepped over the blood that spouted out onto the tarmac.

Hundreds of supporters were at the airstrip as he landed, chanting slogans in favour of the peace deal and waving the multicoloured flag of the south as children danced to the music of drums and other traditional instruments.

“Plant seeds of peace and remove seeds of war” and “Our country will be a fountain of life very soon” were among the words emblazoned on banners displayed in welcome.

Aliap Andrea, who had travelled since the early in the morning to see Garang, expressed happiness at the events she was witnessing.

The war has meant that Andrea has not seen her husband since 1983 after he took refuge in the north of the country and then left for Australia. “I want to be able to take care of my children and to educate them. I spoke to my husband this year and there is also peace, thank God,” she said.

The SPLM leader is expected to meet the head of the mediators between the former rebels and Khartoum, the Kenyan General Lazaros Sumbeiywo, who should present him with a definitive version of the peace accords.

He is also due to hold talks with the UN special envoy for Sudan, Jan Pronk, who arrived in the town some hours before the SPLM leader.

Garang’s deputy, Pagan Amoun, said that discussions would be focussed on the composition of a United Nations mission that is expected to be sent to the country to supervise the permanent ceasefire between the two sides.

However he expressed doubt that Muslim countries that would be part of the peace force as they had supported the government during the 21 years of civil war.

“They have been on the side of the government of Sudan. We don’t want them,” he said.

Work has been proceeding apace to prepare the bombed-out, dusty town to host the south’s semi-autonomous government for an interim period of six months.

The United Nations and other organisations plan to close down offices in the Kenyan capital Nairobi that have dealt with southern Sudan and relocate them to Rumbek.