Sudanese VP calls for co-existence in Darfur

KHARTOUM, Sudan, Mar 6, 2005 (PANA) — Sudan’s vice-president Moses Mashar has called for peaceful co-existence among the people in the troubled western Darfur region, where fighting has killed about 70,000 people and displaced an estimated 1.6 million others since February 2003.

A Sudanese policeman stands guard as a group of women take part in a peace march to celebrate a government sponsored tribal reconciliation ceremony in South Darfur state of Mossai, February 17, 2005. (Reuters).

Opening a conference of leaders from the entire Darfur region in El
Fashir Saturday, Moses urged the African ethnic groups and Arabs in the
area to end the current suspicions and patch up the torn social fabric.

Mashar also called on police forces to establish friendly relations with
citizens and maintain security and stability.

Assuring the leaders that peace would be restored to Darfur within the
coming months, he stressed the need to open passage-ways to enable the
displaced population to return to their villages of origin to participate
in the agricultural season.

Addressing the same conference, the deputy speaker of parliament, Anglo
Bida, Bida encouraged the disputing parties in Darfur learn from the
spirit that led to the sighning of the wealth and power sharing
agreements
by the government in Khartoum and the southern Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement/Army(SPLM/A) in January 2005.

Two rebel movements, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) ands to
put and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) resorted to arms in February
2003 to press for an equitable allocation of wealth to their remote area.

Bida called on the Darfur leaders to copy the spirit that led to an end
to war in southern Sudan through peaceful means after more than two
decades of fighting between government forces and the SPLA.

Meanwhile, the political secretary of the ruling National Congress,
Majzoub Al Khalifa, who led the government delegation to the peace talks
with Darfur rebels in Ethiopia and Nigeria, said the government was fully
prepared to engage in talks with them at any place.

The next round of peace talks between Khartoum and the SLM and the JEM
is set to resume later this month.

The political secretary warned against rumours and incorrect information
propagated by the rebel groups and certain United Nations agencies.

Khalifa urged the government in North Darfur to emulate the efforts being
made by central government leaders to restore peace and security for
citizens in the troubled area.