AFRICA/SUDAN - “I think the peace agreement for southern Sudan will be postponed to January or February next year” Bishop Gassis of El Obeid told Fides

Khartoum (Fides Service)- “I think the peace agreement for southern Sudan will be postponed to January or February next year” Bishop Gassis of El Obeid told Fides. “In fact the status of the Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains regions has still not been defined. These regions will probably be managed by John Garang, leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army SPLA and Sudanese President Oman Bashir. But no agreement has been reached and it will be some months before peace is reached” Bishop Gassis told Fides. “How much autonomy these regions will obtain remains to be seen. However gestures of good will are always a grace from God and as Church we must welcome not waste them” Bishop Gassis told Fides. The dateline set for the peace agreement for Southern Sudan was 31 December 2004.
In the meantime talks for peace in the western Sudan region of Darfur taking place in Abuja, Nigeria have been interrupted (see Fides 13 December 2004).
Yesterday 13 December representatives of the two rebel groups in Darfur present at the peace talks in Abuja, once again refused to take part in the meeting until government attacks on their forces cease. The African Union, which offered to mediate the talks, had already accused both sides of violating the cease fire ever more frequently. “We are suspending talks until the situation changes and the government takes clear steps to stop its offensive” Bahar Ibrahim declared on behalf of the Sudan Liberation Movement while the spokesman of the other rebel group present at the talks in the Nigerian capital, the Justice and Equality Movement said he fully agreed with the position.
Following the death of 2 Sudanese members of the British aid organisation in Darfur Save the Children the United Nations said it was suspending humanitarian operations in this war torn zone.
The spokesperson of the United Nations Secretary General special representative in Sudan, Radhia Achur, said “we have suspended our humanitarian operations in Darfur until we have adequately examined the situation”, adding, “African Union has undertaken an investigation”.
Since the conflict between rebels and government started in February 2003 more than 70,000 people in Darfur have been killed or have died of hunger and disease. Another million and a half have been forced to leave their land and homes and live in desperate conditions in refugee camps in Darfur and in neighbouring Chad. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 14/12/2004 righe 38 parole 468)