Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service)- All is ready at the sports stadium in Nairobi capital of Kenya, for the signing of a history making agreement for peace between the Khartoum government and leaders of the former rebel movement Sudan Peoples Liberation Army SPLA after more than 20 of civil war in southern Sudan.
The agreement includes power sharing and autonomy in special regions. This means new structure of central power in relations with local autonomies. For the first time since the founding of Sudan as a nation Islam and Animism are recognised as the two main religions. (Islam 75%, Animist 17%, Christianity, Roman Catholic 4%, Protestant 2% source Philips’ World Factbook).
One of the reasons for the rebellion was the government decision to extend Sharia law to include the whole country including the southern regions where people are mainly Christians and Animists. This new agreement stipulates that Sharia law will apply only to the north. In the capital Khartoum where there are many Christians and Animists from the south during the interim period the Sharia, including punishments such as amputation and stoning, will be applied to Muslim only.
According to the agreement, the President and vice president will be chosen respectively by the former Khartoum government and SPLA. However in the event of the president’s absence the first vice president will not have full powers. A second vice president will be a representative of the north. National posts will be shared as followed: 70 per cent for the north and 30 per cent for the secessionists. Special regions will be governed by SPLA leaders with representative of the north holding 60 per cent of political positions.
SPLA leader John Garang will be vice president of Sudan. The SPLA military will join the regular army to form a new united national army.
One important settlement reached was sharing of oil profits fifty-fifty north and south, oil resources being mainly in the south.
The agreement includes a transition period and interim government for 6 years and a 6 months. After the first three years there will be election. At the end of the whole interim period the people in the south will decide with a referendum for a federal state or full independence.
The agreement signed yesterday put an end to the civil war in southern Sudan started in 1983 which took at least 2 million lives and left millions more internally displaced and refugees. However the conflict in western Sudan region of Darfur bordering with Chad remain to be settled. Since February 2003 there has been fierce fighting between government and its pro-government militia allies and rebel groups claiming greater government attention for the region’s development. Yesterday 7 January, in a report to the UN Security Council, United Nations Secretary General painted a dark picture of the situation in Darfur. “Unless measures are adopted swiftly we could be moving towards a period of intense violence” said Kofi Annan. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 8/1/2005 righe 44 parole 567)
