For first time in 20 years, Garang's movement starts open activity in Khartoum
Sudan, Politics, 12/4/2003

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement, led by John Garang, started its open activities in the capital Khartoum, for the first time since its foundation 20 years ago.

The spokesman for the movement, Ramadan Muhammad Abdullah, stressed from Khartoum that the movement will work to organize itself as a unionist political party working for building Sudan on new foundations.

The spokesman expected the movement's message to find a great resonance not only in the South, but in northern Sudan as well. He spoke of the efforts exerted by the ruling National Congress Party and the movement in order to achieve peace in Sudan.

In the same context, a delegation representing the movement will arrive in Khartoum by the end of the week, in a visit which is the first of its kind, since the beginning of armed conflict between the two sides.

The visit of the delegation coincides with the timing of the forthcoming meeting in Nivasha, Kenya, between Garang and Sudan's (First) Vice-President, Ali Othman Muhammad Taha, in which necessary measures are expected to be completed to sign the final agreement between the government and the people's movement.

In a statement, John Garang said that the visit aims at dialogue for the establishments of the civil society segments who are not included in the peace process, and to get all political movements involved, so as the agreement can be satisfactory to all sides concerned in Sudan.

Garang added that the delegation will work for accelerating the peace process which started in Nivasha, Kenya.

The secretary of the Sudanese foreign ministry, Mutarraf Saddiq, said that the initiative of the visit of the movement's delegation to Khartoum resulted in another meeting between the Vice President Taha and Garang.

Mutarraf said that the involvement of the movement in the political action in Sudan is a needed matter and welcomed the transformation of the Sudan People Liberation Movement to a pan-national political party.

Garang stressed the need of sharing the authority also with the other Sudanese national forces, not only with President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and the ruling National Congress Party. He added "our objective is to introduce democracy to the Sudanese political life."

On the other hand, an American delegation held talks in Khartoum with the Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Osman Ismail aiming for supporting the current round of talks and working to complete final agreement between the two negotiating sides.

Previous Stories:
  Sudan: 47 persons killed in Darfour   (12/3/2003)
  Sudan peace talks resume with removal of al-Atabani from his post   (12/1/2003)
  Ceasefire agreement extended for two months in Sudan; peace negotiations tomorrow   (11/29/2003)

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