Machakos peace protocol freezes up separation steps in South Sudan

In an exclusive interview with Al-Ahram newspaper, Mahdy Ibrahim, Sudanese Minister of Information and special envoy of President Omar Al-Bashir, replied to the fears and concerns of the political, intellectual, and public quarters in Egypt on the scores of Machakos Protocol recently inked between the government of Sudan and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) on the future of South Sudan.

"The USA has sponsored the SPLM for some time and gave it an umbrella, and gathered some neighbouring countries beside some Sudanese opposition elements," Ibrahim said.

"Sudan has fought this battle all alone, and has lost a lot of blood in face of this movement that was looking forward to have full supremacy over its land," he added.

"John Garang has taken some measures to realise the separation of some regions under his control, and a new coin was supposed to be minted during current August," the Sudanese minister expounded.

"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.

"Our war with the South has not stopped since 1995, and we've lost two million citizens, beside the suspension of all development programs including the petrol line and power network," he said, adding that most of the budget was devoted for defence.

"Egypt was never excluded from the Protocol, and the Egyptian ambassador in Kenya could be a witness for that as he was following matters step by step," the Sudanese special envoy reiterated, adding that there was also coordination with the joint Egyptian-Libyan initiative and the IGAD initiative.

"During the coming six years we'll do everything possible to enhance the unity option," Ibrahim concluded.