Sunday January 9. 2005
2005 year of peace
The year 2005 will
mark the year of peace not only for the whole of
On this joyous day
and occasion I greet and salute the people of Sudan from Nimule
in the far south to Halfa in the far north, and from Geneinah in the far west to Hamashkoreb
and Port Sudan in the east. I greet and salute all the marginalized rural
people in
I greet you on the
occasion of this peace, which we have just signed, all the Sudanese women
everywhere. Women in
I greet and salute
all our students on this occasion of the peace agreement, all our youths who
have borne the brunt of the 21 years of this war, and to whom the future
belongs, and urge them to invest in their future and that of the nation in the
post-conflict period.
Compatriots,
fellow countrymen and women, congratulations - Mabruk
all mabruk alaykum. Your movement, the SPLM-SPLA, and the National Congress Party
government have delivered to you a comprehensive peace agreement. A just and honourable peace which we have signed today and which
you have all witnessed. This is the best Christmas and New Year's gift
for the Sudanese people, to our region, and to
Agreement signals
"second republic of the new
With this peace
agreement, we have ended the longest war in
With this peace agreement, the SPLM and the National Congress Party government have brought half a century of war to a dignified end - congratulations.
With this peace agreement, there will be no more bombs falling from the sky on innocent children and women. Instead of the cries of children and the wailing of women and the pain of the last 21 years of war, peace will bless us once more with hearing the happy giggling of children and the enchanting ululation of women who are excited in happiness for one reason or another.
At the political level this agreement affirms the right of self determination for the people of southern Sudan and the right of popular consultation for the people of the Nuba mountains and Blue Nile so that the unity of the Sudan becomes based on the free will of the people instead of on wars and the forced and false unity of the last 49 years.
This peace agreement
will change the
This peace agreement
coincides with
The signing of this
comprehensive peace agreement thus marks the end of what I will correctly call
the first republic of the whole
This peace agreement
therefore signals the beginning of
I call on the
Sudanese people to join this peace agreement, to join the SPLM and the National
Congress Party in the peace process, because this peace agreement belongs to
them. I does not belong to John Garang
or the SPLM leadership, it does not belong to [Vice-President] Ali Uthman Taha or President Al-Bashir or to the National Congress Party. This agreement
belongs to all of the
Although the comprehensive peace agreement was negotiated by two parties as a matter of necessity and practicality in order to end the war in the first place, and now that the war is ended, I call on all the Sudanese people and their political forces to build consensus around this comprehensive peace agreement, and use it to end war in other parts of Sudan and to relaunch the Sudan to the promised land of the new Sudan of progress and equality, of opportunity for all Sudanese citizens without distinction.
Tribute to "martyrs"; release of POWs
Finally and last but not least, I salute all our martyrs and all wounded heroes on both sides. I salute and congratulate all officers, NCOs and soldiers on both sides of the conflict for their heroic sacrifices. I pay tribute and thank our civil population who provided the logistics for the war, especially those in the SPLM-administered areas, for without their contribution this comprehensive peace agreement would not have been possible. It is because of the role played by our civil population in the long war that we have invited some 50 chiefs and traditional leaders representing our civil society at the grassroots. We have also invited the SPLM military band to represent the SPLA rank and file.
On this joyous occasion of the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement, as you will recall that the SPLA has always released prisoners of war, we have released so far more than 3,000 prisoners of war at various times over the last 21 years. I here as of today order the immediate release of all prisoners of war that are still under the custody and care of the SPLA.
Moment for Tsunami victims
It is fitting, as we
celebrate this momentous historical landmark, to pause to remember the
thousands of fellow human beings who recently perished in both
Our hearts go out in
grief and solidarity to the peoples of south east Asia
in this their hour of tragedy in the hands of a merciless earthquake and
tsunamis. As we share the pain and suffering of our fellow human beings in all
the countries that have been devastated by the earthquake and the accompanying
tsunamis or tidal waves, we also urge the international community, after it has
pledged so generously to help alleviate the suffering and rebuild shattered
lives in the affected region, to spare some resources to help post-conflict
Sudan recover and develop. We therefore look forward to a massive turn out of
donors with their pledges at the prospective
"An all-inclusive Sudanese state"
Excellencies,
compatriots, fellow citizens. In order to
understand and appreciate the present historical moment of the signing of the
As I said before,
Why? What is the problem? Why should a community subject itself to generations of war and suffering in so many parts of the country?
In our view, the
attempts by various Khartoum-based regimes since 1956 to build a monolithic
Arab Islamic state with the exclusion of other parameters of the Sudanese
diversity constitutes the fundamental problem of the Sudan and defines the
Sudanese conflict. The Sudanese state hitherto has excluded the vast majority
of the Sudanese people from governance and therefore their marginalization in
the political, economic and social fields.
This provoked
resistance by the excluded. There have been wars and there continues to be wars
in the
The solution to the
fundamental problem of
As is the case in the
south, the events in
Move forward with the momentum of 5,000 years
My presentation, our
presentation in the SPLM is that we, the Sudanese, are indeed a historical
people and that the new
We very much need to
do this exercise in the
Many people will be
surprised that in the Bible, in the Old Testament, the
From the Biblical
days, we move to the ancient Sudanese kingdoms of Awach,
of Ritat, of Anu, of Maida,
that are believed to be connected with the present day Dinka,
Shiluk, Nuer, other Nilotic tribes and the peoples of central and western
Sudan. And at the corridors of history we move to the
The rest of Sudanese
history is familiar to all of us from the Islamic kingdoms of Sinar to the Teko Egyptian
occupation, to the first Islamic Mahadisi state, to
Anglo-Egyptian condominium to independence in 1956 and the Anyanya
movement to 1955 to 1972 to the SPLM/SPLA in 1983, to the second Islamic state
in the Sudan of Ingas, with which we negotiated from
1989 and to the comprehensive which we signed today. This is the history of the
National unity through pluralism and democracy
As for the
contemporary
Furthermore, by adapting and applying the form of governance and wealth-sharing arrangements stipulated in the comprehensive peace agreement to other parts of the country with similar afflictions as the south such as Darfur, eastern Sudan and other parts of the country, we can once again become a great nation that is voluntarily united in diversity rather than divided by diversity and forcibly kept under a coerced and fake unity.
This is the context
and the value of the comprehensive peace agreement we have signed today. It
provides the
Viewed
this way the right of self-determination, which is one of the cornerstones of
the comprehensive peace agreement, is a blessing rather then curse as many
northern Sudanese fear. I want to assure you
that we will all work together with the National Congress Party and other
political forces in the
Excellencies, distinguished guests, compatriots, ladies and gentlemen, bear with me. I am almost finished. The transformation which shall be engendered by this agreement, which I have alluded to shall be reflected first and foremost in democratic (?mutation) and to which the SPLM is fully committed. Surely by democratic we do not mean return to the sham procedural democracy of the past, which was a camouflage for the perpetuation of vested interest. In that sham democracy civil rights were subject to the whims of rulers. The majority of Sudanese regions remained peripheral to the central power and was treated as an expendable quantum only to be manipulated through political trickery and double-dealing.
The transformation
envisaged in the comprehensive peace agreement puts an end to all that since it
represents a political and socioeconomic paradigm shift which entails the
recognition of political diversity by guaranteeing full freedom for political
pluralism. The entrenchment of human rights and peoples' rights in the
constitution, the upholding of the independence of the judiciary, including the
creation of an inviolable constitutional court and commitment to the rule of
law by the government and the governed, and the establishment of a truly
independent and competent civil service at all levels of government. It also
conceptualizes and seeks to realize a recreation of the legislature in a manner
that shall ensure rigorous checks and balances and guarantees powers to the
government of southern
Eventually, the comprehensive peace agreement ordains that within a maximum of three to four years governance at all levels shall be mandated by the supreme will of the people through internationally monitored free and fair elections.
Economic and social development
Excellencies, distinguished guests, compatriots, ladies and gentlemen, the long war to which we have put an end to today impoverished our citizens and reduced our country with tremendous resources to destitution. Without claiming that the new economic paradigm shift, which I have alluded to, is the ultimate panacea for curing the nation's ills, it provides at least a vision and modalities to address the problems besetting the nation in the here and now - while I leave the world hereafter to those who claim to have divine qualifications.
In southern Sudan and
other war-affected areas, as well as in the slums of our major cities, the
baseline from which we shall start development is shocking and I will not bore
here with the statistics of the status of these parameters such as prevalence
of child malnutrition, primary education, mortality rates among children, rate
of maternal mortality, rate of births attended skilled health staff, access to
improved water sources. These statistics in southern
In summary, the SPLM shall articulate and implement a social, political and economic development strategy and programmes that include the following highlights:
First, the SPLM shall
adopt an economic development paradigm that emphasizes growth through rural
development and transformation of traditional agriculture that is integrated
with agro-industries. We must transform the present subsistence traditional
agriculture in southern
Secondly, the SPLM will change the urban-based and centre of focus development paradigm in favour of rural and decentralized development. The SPLM vision, policy and slogan shall be to take the towns to people in the countryside rather than people to towns, where they end up in slums as happened in many countries with the consequent deterioration in their quality of life. Rural small town planning and rural electrification will therefore be priorities.
Thirdly the SPLM
shall emphasize and develop new ways of delivery of social services. As we move
to the new era of peace, the people of
Fourthly, the SPLM
shall exert all efforts to build physical infrastructure - roads, rail and
river transport and telecommunications. There has never been any tarmac road in
the new
Fifthly and finally,
in terms of social and cultural parameters, the SPLM shall adopt the strategies
and programmes that shall restore and achieve dignity of people of the
"Building national consensus"
Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, to conclude, the comprehensive peace agreement and safeguards, full compliance with the requirements of the agreement, the SPLM will work in partnership with the National Congress Party. The objectives of this partnership is to ensure a sincere implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement in both letter and spirit and to provide, within the parameters of this agreement, permanent solutions to the problems inherent in Sudan's cultural, social and political diversity.
Failure to appreciate the wealth in diversity was another cause of national crisis. For diversity, viewed positively is a mutually [word indistinct] phenomenon and ultimately a source of national cohesion and strength. Viewed otherwise, that is as a source of dissimilarity or distinction, it shall lead inevitably to the ultimate disintegration of the country as threatens today and which at all costs we must avoid.
Furthermore, the
partnership does not mean abandonment of political allies by any of the two
parties. However, this partnership, once safeguarded in the new political
dispensation, shall in effect nurture the democratic transformation and
political multiplicity, which by their very nature may lead to diverse
alliances. But so long as those alliances are based on commitment to the letter
and spirit of the peace agreements that will put an end to the longest war in
The SPLM, ladies and gentlemen, will ensure that the new political dispensation is wide enough to accommodate all legitimate political and social forces in the country. It is therefore our hope to achieve popular consensus on those agreements. As the movement that has been fighting against the marginalization of others, we shall not tolerate the exclusion of anybody from this process. The parties to the comprehensive peace agreement share this conviction and we have included in the agreement inclusiveness. In this regard the SPLM will play its role at the national level to work with the National Congress Party and other political forces to ensure full inclusiveness.
While the SPLM and the National Congress Party shall be major partners in the initial interim government unity, our understanding of partnership is well rooted in inclusiveness, which means to bring on board all political forces in the Sudan, chief among them the political parties within the National Congress Party umbrella and the political parties within the National Democratic Alliance, which we call upon to complete negotiations with the government of Sudan based on the Jeddah agreement that are holding negotiations in Cairo and so that they get their share in the government of national unity and participate and participate fully in all the national commissions stipulated in the comprehensive peace agreement, especially the national constitution review commission.
Finally, on issues
that concern southern Sudanese, I want to say a little on south-south dialogue.
On building national consensus, the SPLM will also spearhead the south-south
dialogue. This dialogue, above all, is to heal wounds and restore fraternity
and mutual respect so as to create a healthier political environment that is
accommodative all southern Sudanese political forces, both at the level of
southern
Democracy, whether in
the north or south, should no longer and solely be a struggle for power but
rather as a competition on providing good governance, development and
delivering social services for our people and restoring the dignity and wealth
of every man and woman. Yet in terms of power-sharing in southern
I want in conclusion
to quote, in terms of this inclusiveness, the gospel according to
I also want to assure southern Sudanese in general that the comprehensive peace agreement will not be dishonoured like other agreements that Able Aliao [phonetic] has written a book about entitled: Too Many Agreements Dishonoured. The biggest challenge will be implementation of the peace agreement but we, both the SPLM and the National Congress Party, are committed, fully committed to the implementation of this agreement. There are both external and internal guarantees, organic and external guarantees that will ensure the implementation of this agreement.
I want also to assure the SPLA that the experience of Anyanya I will not repeat itself because there are many SPLA soldiers that are worried they will be left by peace. This regards the issue of funding of the armed forces. We solved the issue of funding of the armed adequately. The joint integrated units, component of the SPLA, shall be funded by the government of national unity, not as a separate army from the mother SPLM but as part and parcel of it with the same wage and living conditions.
The mother SPLA, on
the other hand, will be funded by the government of southern
As for those who in
the Diaspora, I would like to address them and assure them that the government
of southern Sudan as well as the government of national unity will their skills
and I take the opportunity of this forum to appeal to all our Diaspora to
return home and build our country. As I said before our house has many rooms
and Diaspora are welcome to return home and fully participate in the development
of southern
Tributes and acknowledgements
Last but not least, I would like to pay tribute to our fallen heroes and martyrs who sacrificed in order for us celebrate this day on both sides of the conflict. Those, ladies and gentlemen, are the objectives for whose achievements I have exerted all my faculties and energies and efforts, and for which we will cooperate and work together with the National Congress Party. We move in a new direction and achieve the cohesion and the unity of our people and the unity of our country.
Finally, let me pay tribute and salute the courage of the party to reach this agreement and in particular President Umar Hasan al-Bashir and Ustadh Ali Uthman Taha, with whom I sat for 16 months and negotiated this agreement. I salute and congratulate them. I also congratulate the two delegations of the SPLM and the government of Sudan and of course Gen Sumbeiywo and before him Ambassador Daniel Mboya, who was the special envoy, also before them, Zachary Onyango, Bethwel Kiplagat, and foreign minister then Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka and now Minister [for Regional Cooperation John] Koech and other ministers in the Kenya government, who have contributed so much; and to the IGAD [Intergovernmental Authority on Development] envoys of the five countries of IGAD, the facilitators of IGAD, the secretariat. I thank them and congratulate them for guiding the peace process to this successful conclusion.
I would also like to
thank and commend the IGAD heads of state, ministers, peace
envoys and indeed the populace who have been with us through thick and thin,
guiding, advising, cajoling and sometimes threatening to abandon the process.
They deserve praise. Our thanks go to them and also to the bravery of the
people of east
I must also mention a few of the very many names to thank for their contribution to the Sudan peace process, among them are eminent people like President Obasanjo, President Babangida of Nigeria, President Kaunda, Masire, Machel, Nujoma, Chissano, Rawlings, who is here with us today, Mandela of South Africa, Mubarak of Egypt, Qadhafi, Bouteflika, who is here with us today, Jimmy Carter, the late James Grant, and OLS, that has saved millions of lives since 1989, President Bush and his Secretary of State Colin Powell and his special envoy Senator Danforth and Andrew Natsos of USAID, both houses of the US Congress, Prime Minister Tony Blair and his envoys, ambassadors Allan Gulty and McFell, the UN secretary-general and his envoys, ambassadors Sahnun and Pronk, who are here, and a special friend of the Sudan peace process, the Norwegian Minister Hilder Johnson and finally, last but not least, the leaders of this region, led by then President Daniel arap Moi and now by President Mwai Kibaki, President Museveni, [Ethiopian] Prime Minister [Meles] Zenawi, [Eritrean] President [Isayas] Afewerki and the wananchi [citizens] of Kenya and east Africa mzima [as a whole].
And finally I pay tribute and thanks to my dear wife Rebecca and the wives of all my colleagues and comrades in the struggle for their patience and contributions, for without their help the bush would not have been bearable. My sincere thanks to all these people. I pay tribute finally to all the Sudanese people, to whom this peace belongs and I say to them and I say to them mobruk ol lekum [congratulations].
Thank you very much.
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