'Commitment' to peace in Sudan
2002-07-28 11:10
Kampala - President Omar al-Beshir of Sudan and John Garang, leader of the
rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) have vowed to step up
efforts to end the 19-year conflict in their country following
their first ever meeting.
"We declared our commitment to the unity of Sudan," Beshir said
on his return to Khartoum late on Saturday following the talks in the
Ugandan capital of Kampala.
In a joint communique earlier, the two "underscored the need to
reinforce the peace process by rallying popular support behind it
and building national consensus on a comprehensive political
settlement".
"They undertook to ensure that all efforts are deployed to
resolve the outstanding issues which will be discussed in the next
phase of the peace talks," said the communique, which was read by
Uganda's Foreign Minister James Wapakhabulo.
Saturday's meeting, which lasted about two hours and was chaired
by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, followed significant progress
announced last week after peace talks in Kenya, aimed at ending
Sudan's civil war.
The conflict began in 1983 when the SPLA took up arms to free
the Christian and animist south from domination by the Muslim,
Arabised north.
Historic encounter
After the communique was read, Museveni encouraged the two
leaders to shake hands for the second time during their historic
encounter, which had begun with the two men shaking hands.
"This a good signal for the Sudanese people and the world,"
Garang told reporters as he walked out of the conference centre.
"We have applauded what has been achieved so far and we hope this
(meeting) helps us find comprehensive peace."
Beshir told reporters at Khartoum's airport he believed Garang
"had never been a separatist. He always called for the unity of
Sudan.
During the meeting, "we affirmed the necessity to agree quickly
on the remaining issues - dividing the wealth and power and a
ceasefire - during the next negotiations in Nairobi," Beshir said.
"The most important thing is that we have met face to face for
the first time," said Beshir, adding that "contact and personal
relations serve the cause of Sudan".
After five weeks of peace negotiations ended on July 20 in the
Kenyan town of Machakos, the two sides agreed to a protocol that
will give southern Sudan administrative autonomy for a six-year
period and excluding it from the Islamic law applied in the north.
Saturday's meeting had been arranged before the Machakos round
of negotiations as a "supplementary effort" of the peace initiative
of the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD),
which organised the talks in Kenya.
At the end of the six years, according to the Machakos protocol,
the people of southern Sudan will be asked to vote on whether they
want to remain part of the country or secede.
The deal came less than a year after Washington became actively
involved in efforts to end the civil war, one of Africa's
longest-running conflicts.
The war and related famine have killed up to 1.5 million people
and displaced more than four million others, according to
humanitarian sources. - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA