Bashir: Garang is a unionist, never a separatist

The Sudanese government has reinforced its moves to campaign, for its agreement with the southern rebels, on the Arab arena despite the meeting which was described as "historic" between President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and the leader of the southern rebels group John Garang in Kampala on Saturday; as this agreement did not eliminate the atmosphere of doubt surrounding the agreement at the Arab level, towards the approval of the government to the option of self determination which they expect to lead to the separation of southern Sudan from Sudan.

While Sudanese envoys have been touring Arab capitals ( Tripoli, Cairo, Damascus and Amman), Al-Bashir announced, after his return back from the Ugandan capital Kampala where he had met with Garang, that Garang is "a unionist" and not a separatist, rather "calling for the unity of Sudan." On their meeting under the patronage of the Ugandan President Mousivini, al-Bashir said on his meeting with Garang "we have stressed our commitment to the unity of Sudan voluntarily," stressing that the "first aim is to maintain the unity of Sudan."

The Sudanese president and the leader of the rebels held a meeting on Saturday that lasted two hours in Kampala. The meeting came just one week from signing a protocol agreement between the Sudanese government and the Sudan's People Liberation Army ( SPLA) on July 20 in Macacu, Kenya. The protocol gives Sudan a self- rule grace period of 6 years at the end of which a referendum on self determination should be held.