Sudan to be litmus test for reconstruction – S Africa minister

CAPE TOWN, Feb 18, 2005 (AP) — The rebuilding of Sudan will be the litmus test for the post-conflict reconstruction of other countries in Africa, South Africa’s foreign minister said Friday.

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said failure of the reconstruction efforts would set a bad precedent.

“Sudan is going to be a real test,” she said.

Dlamini-Zuma chairs the African Union committee on the post-conflict reconstruction of Sudan , which includes the foreign ministers of Sudan , Algeria, Gabon, Nigeria, Senegal, Ethiopia, Egypt, Kenya.

It was set up after the Jan. 9 signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the government of Sudan and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement, which ended a 22-year civil war.

The peace agreement provides for the possible breakaway by the South from the North after the six-year trial period.

But Dlamini-Zuma said it was important for everybody that Sudan stayed united.

“We need the people of South to feel their lives are changing for the better and need to be part of Sudan ,” Dlamini-Zuma was quoted as saying by the South African Press Association.

She said the committee would spare no effort to ensure Sudan did stay together. However, the meeting didn’t address the problems in the troubled western region of Darfur.

The AU’s peace and security ambassador, Said Djinnit, said the post-conflict reconstruction in the Sudan was yet another test for the AU.

“If we don’t pay attention to the conservation of peace it becomes elusive,” he said.