Mashakos agreement falls, Sudan suspends negotiations, prepares for battle
Mashakos agreement stumbled on Monday after Khartoum announced the "suspension" of its participation in a sudden deterioration that brought back the shadow of war in southern Sudan as the rebels of John Garang controlled two days earlier the strategic "Tourit" city. A matter which was retaliated by Khartoum in declaring a state of alert in the lines of its forces to restore the city.
Al-Bashir said he ordered the Sudanese negotiators in Mashakos to return back "immediately to Khartoum."
The Sudanese announcement to suspend the participation of Khartoum government in the current negotiations in Mashakos, Kenya, was declared in Cairo by the Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael who is carrying talks with the Egyptians, delegated by President Omar al-Bashir, according to the principle of "strengthening coordination" with Egypt which had earlier opposed one article in Mashakos agreement that approves the right of the south to split.
The Sudanese TV broadcast scenes for President al-Bashir in his military uniform while receiving on Monday high ranking army officers, while the Sudanese officials and the media returned back to use the word "the enemies" in remarks to the rebels. A word which was omitted after Mashakos agreement.
Meanwhile, the Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael who is visiting Cairo told journalists that the "Sudanese delegation ( in Mashakos) will suspend the talks because the atmospheres created by the recent military operations and the rebel movement's occupation of Tourit city created unsuitable atmospheres for the peace process."
The Sudanese minister added after his meeting with the Egyptian foreign minister Ahmad Maher "therefore talks will be suspended and the armed forces will be prepared to restore back the territories occupied by the rebels movement after its signing of the Mashakos agreement." On July 20.
The Sudanese minister called on the Arab states to stand with his government.
The spokesman for the Sudanese army Lt. Gen. Muhammad Bashir Suleiman said that that the Sudanese army will "intensify the war in all fighting areas," adding that "our armed forces will fight until the return back of Tourit city." He said "we have lost one battle but not the war," considering that what happened in Tourit proves "that John Garang does not want peace."