From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Tue Oct 14 2008 - 12:14:18 EDT
Sudan summons Kenya and Ethiopia ambassadors over arms deliveries to Juba
Tuesday 14 October 2008 04:10.
October 13, 2008 (KHARTOUM) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned separately Monday the ambassadors of Ethiopia and Kenya to Sudan regarding arms shipments to southern Sudan.
Sudan alleged that Kenya is involved in weapons delivery to Southern Sudan government (GoSS) via the Ukrainian ship seized off the Somali coast but Nairobi denies the charges. On the other hand it was reported that an Ethiopian military plane recently arrived at Juba Airport with weapons to the Sudan People's Liberation Army.
The Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan Riak Machar has denied any knowledge of reports of an Ethiopian airplane landing yesterday in Juba with heavy weapons.
Machar said a press statement that even if the weapons belong to the SPLA, then there is still no problem because the Comprehensive Peace Agreement grants the SPLA the right to get arms from any sources and it does not require any coordination from Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) to import weapons. Machar added that SAF did not need any co-ordination with the SPLA to import weapons when it imported jet fighters recently.
The CPA agreement does give the GoSS executive and legislative powers over military and security forces during the 2005-2011 interim period, but Juba is still subject to another part of the agreement on security arrangements, which states that the Joint Military Board has to determine the issue and submit it to the presidency for approval.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed strong protests to the ambassadors from Kenya and Ethiopia and expressed astonishment as the two countries are linked with "distinguished relations" with Sudan and they are founding members of the IGAD organization that sponsored the negotiations which led to the signing of the CPA in January 2005.
The two countries also are members of the Assessment and Evaluation Commission for the implementation of the agreement, the statement underlined.
The foreign ministry referred to the importance of the contribution of the neighboring countries to boosting confidence between the two parties to the agreement for realizing the comprehensive peace which is the basis for peace in the whole region.
The Sudanese government said that the military plane arrived at Juba Airport on October 10 loaded with weapons. Concerning Kenya, the government's protest related to the Ukrainian ship loaded with heavy weapons to southern Sudan via port of Mombasa, Kenya.
Sudan president calls for national solution to Darfur crisis
Tuesday 14 October 2008 05:45.
October 13, 2008 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir called on Darfur rebel groups to "resort to peace" and work on "reconciliation and healing".
Sudan's President Omer Hassan al-Bashir (AP)Al-Bashir who was addressing the opening session of the Sudanese national assembly also announced that the 'People of Sudan' initiative will be officially launched on Thursday.
The Sudanese head of state also said that the initiative will be coordinated with the Qatari mediation efforts and the joint mediation between the United Nations and the African Union, led by Djibril Bassole.
"Preliminary results of those contacts show that we are in the right direction towards peace" he said.
Al-Bashir who faces a possible arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) said that Sudanese judicial institutions are capable of carrying out their duties saying the move by The Hague based court "increase our responsibility to achieve justice and the rule of law".
In mid-July the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced that he is seeking an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir.
The ICC's prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder. In early October ICC judges have officially started reviewing the case in a process that could possibly drag on to next year. The Sudanese head of state hailed the position of regional organizations which backed him in his conflict with the ICC.
"Our position is clear and categorical in refusing to deal with it [ICC]" he said.
Al-Bashir also stressed that the elections would take place on schedule in accordance with the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the civil war between the North and South.
However he acknowledged that there are "technical requirements" including the census results, demarcation of the border North-South borders, implementing security arrangements for the three peace deals in the South, Eastern and Darfur.
Last month Luka Biong, the southern Minister for Presidential Affairs, told Reuters it would not be feasible to hold the elections because of heavy rains and logistical problems.
But the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) made it clear that they want to hold the elections on time, though they appeared willing to accommodate requests by their Southern partners.
The composition of the elections commission which will oversee the process has been a source of dispute between the two sides causing a delay in its creation.
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