Sudanese negotiations Monday for truce, sharing of authority, oil
Sudan, Politics, 8/10/2002

A new round of Sudanese talks will start in Kenya on Monday. These talks are expected to center on arranging a cease fire between the government and the southern rebels after the Macacus agreement that was concluded paving the way for southern Sudan's split and exempting it from abiding to the implementation of the Islamic Sharia.

However, there are still numerous obstacles before reaching a cease fire, as the two sides are still clashing in the south, and exchanging accusations of starting these clashes, in order to improve their positions before the new negotiations. However, the two sides say that a settlement for the Sudanese war can be reached within five years.

In statements issued on Friday by the Egyptian daily al-Ahram, the Sudanese minister of information Mahdi Ibrahim said that the rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Army "were able to control certain areas, and furthermore, that their leader John Garang started practical measures for separation in the areas he has already controlled."

The paper quoted Ibrahim as saying that a "new currency was supposed to have been issued for the south during this month August, and that to be carried out by the central bank, and the sums to come from the ( US) Congress in order to start constructing the civil society of roads and modern cities." All this has changed with the agreement, he said.

"Now the Machakos Protocol has cancelled all forms of separation, and defined a period of six years to act in the shadow of unity," stressed Ibrahim.

The Sudanese minister said "should we have left matters to proceed that way, the cessation of the south would have been perpetuated and might have been recognized by certain sides and the churches." The main issues of the second round of talks include sharing of the authority and wealth and a cease fire. Sharing of oil is expected to be a difficult issue. The two sides may agree on sharing the revenues by the ownership of oil fields and controlling privileges and new oil exploration operations will be more difficult.

The issue of the army will be settled, and whether there will be a united national armed forces in which the southern army is taking part or the two armies will be separated.

Previous Stories:
  People's army: Sudanese peace talks start Monday   (8/7/2002)
  Sudanese rebels: Sudanese army statements are mistaken   (8/6/2002)
  Khartoum refuses to include the opposition in peace negotiations   (8/6/2002)

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