Sudanese southern body boycotts South-South dialogue
KHARTOUM, Mar 3, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) — The Southern States Coordination Council (SSCC), allied to the government, has decided to boycott the preliminary meetings of the South-South dialogue, being held at the Karen suburb of Nairobi, and return to Khartoum.
The delegation, which was led by the SSCC finance minister Gabriel Samson, decided to stay away from the meetings in protest over a proposal made by Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
The delegation said such a proposal was unworkable and would only hamstring the south-south dialogue by preventing other southern factions, as well as civil society bodies and political forces from participating at the talks.
Meanwhile, former Kenyan president Moi’s charitable organization, which is organizing the talks, is still continuing its make or break efforts to reconcile the two sides.
The head of the delegation of the SSCC to the Karen talks, Samson Gabriel, said Moi intends to carry out a tour of southern Sudan, including the towns of Malakal, Juba, Wau and Rumbek, and before visiting Khartoum, with aim of promoting the South-South dialogue.
Samson further said the former Kenyan president supports the idea of restricting participation at the preliminary meeting to delegations from the SPLM and the SSCC, and to later have an all-inclusive meeting for all southerners.
He said Moi promised the head of the SPLM delegation, James Wani, that he would organize a meeting soon following the collapse of major efforts at the meeting to convince the two sides to continue with dialogue.
SPLM Secretary-General Pagan Amum and the SSCC’s delegation are expected to set a date today for the resumption of talks, and to specify who the participants will be.
However, a prominent member of the SPLM said that the SPLM was striving to hold a conference of relevant southern Sudanese sides which were not within the government and the SPLM. He said the participation of the SSCC delegation in the conference was not “important” because the SSCC was a part of the government.
The SPLM’s member said movement’s relations with government are in accordance with the Nairobi peace agreement, and that the South-South dialogue should be open to sides outside the bilateral agreement.
It is important to note here that the South-South dialogue is aiming at achieving a consensus between the various southern forces on to the final peace agreement that was signed between the SPLM and the ruling National Congress Party.
Material provided by the BBC Monitoring Service.