3 December 1999 Sudanese
President Omer al-Bashir states that the Sudanese government
would be bound by the outcome of a forthcoming referendum
on the right of south Sudan to self-determination. He reiterates
the government's commitment to achieving a federal system
in which the rights of people of all cultures would be recognised
and a fair allocation of power and resources arrived at.
He attacks American foreign policy toward Sudan and its
attempt to incite neighbouring countries to attack it.
"Agenda" television
programme, MBC Channel, at 19.00gmt, 3 December 1999
3 December 1999 Egyptian
presidential advisor Osama al-Baz affirms that the Egyptian-Libyan
peace initiative stems from Egypt's concern for the interests
of Sudan and its territorial integrity, and calls upon all
Sudanese leaders and parties to pool their efforts in the
peace initiative. He emphasises that the initiative will
continue in spite of American opposition because it reflects
the wishes and interests of the Sudanese people and neighbouring
countries. "The US opposition.does not concern us much
and will not change our stance at all", he says.
"Egyptian-Libyan Initiative
On-Going Despite US Opposition", News Article by ArabicNews.com,
3 December 1999
3 December 1999 Umma
Party leader Sadiq al-Mahdi, states that the National Democratic
Alliance no longer represents all the Sudanese opposition,
and that the alliance was nothing but a temporary formula
to fulfil the needs of national work in a certain stage.
Developments may lead to a restructuring of the whole opposition
and the establishment of an alternative formula for an alliance.
Such an alliance may take the form of a wide front that
includes all supporters of democracy and peace.
He also states that the
ruling system in Sudan is not weak and the opposition not
that strong. The opposition's structure is fragile and not
a persuasive alternative accepted by a lot of people in
Sudan.
"El-Sadek El-Mahdi:
The Sudanese System is Not Weak, and the Opposition is Not
Strong", News Article by ArabicNews.com, 4 December
1999
6 December 1999 Commenting
on the Clinton Administration's stated intention to provide
the SPLA with food aid, The New York Times states:
"This is likely to prolong the war" and "ally
Washington with a brutal and predatory guerilla army. One
of the tragedies of Sudan's war is that John Garang's S.P.L.A.
has squandered a sympathetic cause. Though its members claim
to be 'Christians' resisting Islamization, they have behaved
like an occupying army, killing, raping and pillaging."
The New York Times also described Garang as one of
"Sudan's pre-eminent war criminals" and stated
that any such food aid would "enlist America in the
conflict's most pernicious tactic - the use of food as a
weapon of war". The paper reports that "[t]he
plan is designed by its advocates in the State Department
and the National Security Council to strengthen the military
operations of the Sudan People's Liberation Army".
The American humanitarian aid agency CARE states: "It
would set a terrible precedent."
'Misguided Relief to Sudan', Editorial,
The New York Times, 6 December 1999: 'US Plan to
Feed Sudan Rebels Rapped', The Boston Globe, 6 December
1999
6 December 1999 Internal
Sudanese leaders of the National Democratic Alliance - Abdel
Rahman Nugdallah of the Umma Party, Ali Ahmed of the Democratic
Unionist Party and Joseph Akol of the Union of Sudanese
African Parties - leave Khartoum to travel to Kampala, in
Uganda, to discuss a peace agreement with the government.
The NDA announces that government and alliance leaders had
held a "cordial" three-hour meeting under the
aegis of the official Peace and Reconciliation Committee.
The SPLA announces that
it has formed a new force comprising the SPLA and commanders
of two former pro-government militias in Southern Sudan.
The new force, entitled the Upper Nile Provisional Military
Command Council, issues a statement that it would use all
means necessary to resist the "genocidal war"
waged by the government on southern Sudan "with the
clear intention of ethnic cleansing and to depopulate the
areas of the oil fields".
"Sudanese Internal
Opposition Leaders Head for Peace Parley", News Article
by Agence France Presse, 6 December 1999
6 December 1999 Sidahmed
al-Hussein, Democratic Unionist Party leader, states that
the Djibouti accord will close the door in the face of any
efforts toward dialogue and reconciliation between the Sudanese
government and the opposition parties. He claims that the
agreement is part of a "divide and rule" policy
by the government to fragment the NDA and emphatically rejects
it. He further states that the DUP "are going ahead
with our opposition to the regime with all means until its
downfall".
"The DUP Rejects",
Al Hayat, 6 December 1999
6 December 1999 The
Sudanese Organizations Abroad group sends a Memorandum to
Mohammed Osman al-Mirghani, President of the National Democratic
Alliance, and to all members of the NDA Leadership Council,
calling on the NDA to "reject reconciliation with the
existing ruling regime". It denounces the "anti-democratic,
uncivilised, and irrevocably rejected policies, practices,
and very existence of the NIF pariah rule in our beloved
Homeland". It calls for a coordination "on a daily
base" of the "struggles of Sudanese Masses in
Diaspora" and the establishment of an "All-Sudanese
Conference Abroad towards a stronger movement to support
the NDA struggles".
"Memorandum from The
Sudanese Organisations Abroad", 6 December 1999
6 December 1999 Kenyan
President Daniel arap Moi announces he will lead talks at
the State House in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi between
Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir and Ugandan President
Yoweri Museveni, in order to establish better relations
between the two countries. The talks are organised by the
Carter Centre, of Atlanta, Georgia, and former President
Jimmy Carter is also expected to attend. The Carter Centre
had been holding exploratory talks on regional issues for
several months previously.
"Kenya, Sudan, Uganda
to Hold Talks", News Article by Associated Press, 6
December 1999; "Uganda and Sudan Try to Improve Relations",
News Article by Reuters, 7 December 1999
7 December 1999 Two
Roman Catholic priests and 18 others accused of planting
bombs in Khartoum are pardoned by Sudanese President Omer
al-Bashir as part of the national reconciliation process.
"Sudanese President
Orders Release of Alleged Insurgents", News Article
by Associated Press, 7 December 1999
7 December 1999 Former
Nigerian military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida, arrives
in Uganda as an emissary from Nigerian President Olusegun
Obasanjo to deliver a message to Ugandan President Yoweri
Museveni. It is also believed that he intends to meet Umma
Party leader Sadiq al-Mahdi.
"Obasanjo Sends General
Babangida to Uganda", New Vision (Kampala),
7 December 1999
7 December 1999 NDA
leaders meet in Ugandan capital Kampala, primarily to discuss
what Abdon Agaw, of the Union of Sudan African Parties,
calls the "cracks" in the NDA. "The Mahdi-Khartoum
deal is an urgent issue that is going to be hot for the
conference as it hinges on the unity of the movement",
he says.
"Sudanese Opposition
Chiefs to Meet in Kampala", News Article by Agence
France Presse, 7 December 1999
8 December 1999 Former
American President Jimmy Carter commenting on American attempts
to destabilise Sudan states: "The people in Sudan want
to resolve the conflict. The biggest obstacle is US government
policy. The US is committed to overthrowing the government
in Khartoum. Any sort of peace effort is aborted, basically
by policies of the United States.Instead of working for
peace in Sudan, the US government has basically promoted
a continuation of the war."
In a further comment, the
Boston Globe states that: "To the peril of regional
stability, the Clinton Administration has used northern
Uganda as a military training ground for southern Sudanese
rebels fighting the Muslim government of Khartoum."
'Carter, Others Say US Has
Faltered in Africa', The Boston Globe, 8 December,
1999
8 December 1999 John
Garang, SPLA leader, at the Kampala meeting of the National
Democratic Alliance, rejects the Djibouti accord and the
Egyptian-Libyan peace initiative. He states that the IGAD
Declaration of Principles is the only valid solution to
the Sudanese problem.
Al Hayat,
8 December 1999, at http://www.sitecopy.com/alhayat/12-08/08PO1-First-Page.pdf
9 December 1999 SPLA
leader John Garang states that proposed US food aid for
his forces will boost its capacity in the war against the
Sudanese government. He says: "We will be able to concentrate
more men in bigger units.Concentration is one of the principles
of war. If you concentrate your manpower or your firepower,
you get better results."
The SPLA's ability to concentrate
its forces, he adds, had heretofore been limited by its
reliance on local civilian populations for food. Garang
also states that the new peace deal between Uganda and Sudan
would have no impact on the SPLA's military operations or
supply lines. He states that the SPLA will continue to control
Sudan's borders with several neighbouring nations and would
be able to move people and equipment across those frontiers.
"Governments have no control over the movement of people",
he adds.
"Interview
- Sudan Rebel Says US Food Aid Will Help", News Article
by Reuters, 9 December 1999
9 December 1999 In
an interview on Egyptian Television US Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright states with regard to the Egyptian-Libyan
peace initiative that: "We believe that it is important
for there to be a comprehensive agreement on Sudan. We also
understand that Egypt has vital interests as far as Sudan
is concerned. It's just that we think that it is important
to try to have a comprehensive settlement for Sudan and
that the Egyptian-Libyan negotiations should be a part of
that."
"Interview on Egyptian
TV's 'Good Morning Egypt', Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, December
9, 1999", Office of the Spokesman, US Department of
State, Washington, DC, 9 December 1999 at http://secretary.state.gov/www/statements/1999/
12 December 1999 Sudanese
Presidential decrees dissolve parliament and reduce Dr Hassan
al-Turabi to an administrative position within the National
Congress, impose a state of emergency and suspend articles
of the Constitution which relate to election of governors
of the country's 26 states. The action is widely seen as
a positive move to compromising with opposition groups over
the issue of separation of state and religion in Sudan.
18 December 1999 In
meetings with a visiting South African delegation, the Sudanese
Foreign Minister reiterated with regard to the Sudanese
conflict that "there was no military solution to the
problem". The government also stated that peace depends
on the IGAD and Libyan-Egyptian initiatives.
Sudan Monthly Report
(Nairobi), 15 December 1999
19 December 1999 Umma
Party leader Sadiq al-Mahdi meets in Kampala with Ugandan
President Yoweri Museveni to discuss the Sudanese peace
process.
"Uganda President in
Talks With Exiled Sudan Leader", News Article by Reuters,
19 December 1999
21 December 1999 Libyan
President Moamer Kadhafi chairs an African mini-summit in
Tripoli with President Laurent Kabila of the Congo, President
Issias Afeworki of Eritrea, President Yoweri Museveni of
Uganda and President Omer al-Bashir of Sudan.
"Kadhafi Holds Mini
African Peace Summit in Tripoli", News Article by Agence
France Presse, 21 December 1999
22 December 1999 The
Sudanese Government signs a peace treaty with the TANA (Blue
Nile Citizens Front) forces at the Presidential Palace.
The agreement is signed by Dr Nafie Ali Nafie, Advisor to
the President for Peace Affairs and rebel leader Chief Obeid
Mohammed Abu-Shutal. Vice-President Ali Osman Taha describes
the peace agreement as a step forward to realising peace
and stability in the country and proof of the government's
enthusiasm to achieve peace. He also renews his call to
opposition members abroad to return to Sudan to join the
peace and rehabilitation process.
Chief Abu-Shutal states
that the Blue Nile citizens are keen to uphold the efforts
to achieve peace, accord, stability and development in the
country.
The 12-point agreement includes
provisions on: democratic rule in Sudan; the preservation
of the unity of the Sudanese people; a fair distribution
of national resources; the development of the less developed
parts of the country; a commitment to federal government
and local autonomy; an ending of tribal and ethnic conflicts;
the establishment of effective structures to ensure the
implementation of the agreement; the guarantee of representation
of Blue Nile citizens in various federal posts; the verification
of the good use agricultural lands in the region; the granting
of priority to Blue Nile citizens in the allocation of land
plots; the improvement of basic services, especially health
and education, in the area; the establishment of a specialised
organisation to ensure the development of the Blue Nile
area; a general amnesty for all those carrying arms who
returned to the homeland.
News Article by SUNA News
Digest, 22 December 1999
22 December 1999 Sadiq
al-Mahdi, President of the Umma Party, sends an open letter
to SPLA leader John Garang. He points out that in the Umma
Party's "discussions with important players in the
international community left [them] in no doubt that the
SPLM/A is regarded along with the government as responsible
for Human Rights abuses, and perpetuation of the war.The
SPLA's record on Human Rights, in the eyes of many neutral
observers has blunted if not altogether arrested the opposition
campaign against the Human Rights record of the NIF regime".
He criticises the SPLA's
tactics during peace negotiations, especially its attempt
to bypass previous NDA agreements and "divide central
power between SPLM/A and the NIF regime", to exclude
NDA participation in IGAD, for "the vehemence of [its]
negative reaction to [the] Djibouti [Agreement]", and
for its "scathing, unfair and distorted attack on a
party [Umma] which represents majority opinion in the Sudan".
He further criticises the
SPLA's attitude to various peace negotiation. "We insisted
on an IGAD update", Al-Mahdi writes, "to broaden
it to involve uncatered for aspects. You were not equally
enthusiastic for this revision. We encouraged the Joint
Egyptian-Libyan initiative as a necessary means to rectify
the IGAD drawbacks and to compliment it. Initially you have
welcomed the joint initiative and then had second thoughts
about it, The IGAD revision, which you suggested as a substitute,
was so unfair that our rejection of it should have caused
no surprise."
Al-Mahdi also states that,
as a result of these prevarications, "towards the end
of 1998 we became increasingly anxious about the possibility
of international resolutions being implemented over the
heads of the Sudanese people, and the creeping Balkanisation
of the Sudan. You may not have similar anxieties".
Al-Mahdi further comments
on the "change in political language in Khartoum",
its "acceptance of citizenship as the basis of constitutional
rights, the endorsement of some Asmara 1995 resolutions,
particularly the principle of self-determination for the
South, and the acceptance of a National constitution commission
charged with drafting a constitution guaranteeing political
plurality.allowing a greater margin of freedom within the
country.chang[ing] its regional address toward good neighbourliness.chang[ing]
its international agenda".
It was these changes, al-Mahdi
observes, that persuaded him of the need and opportunity
"to move very fast indeed in the search for a Comprehensive
Political Agreement", to "free [themselves] from
the NDA deadwood", and to recognise "that it is
possible to clinch a peace agreement, a program for Democratic
Transformation". He outlines a number of possible political
directions and for "a national All Party Conference
to discuss and resolve all national conflicts and usher
into a Comprehensive Political Agreement".
Sadiq al-Mahdi, Umma Party
President, "Letter to Dr. John Garang, Chairman SPLA
and Commander in Chief, SPLA", 22 December, 1999
22 December 1999 In
comments to reporters in Cairo Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir
states: "Now we have a completely new reality. There
is no (Islamic) Front. There are Sudanese political forces,
some of them were inside the front, others were not".
He asserts that his recent
moves were not tactical, but "fixed policies".
Bashir reaffirms his commitment to the unity of Sudan, to
Egyptian-Sudanese ties, and to the success of the Egyptian-Libyan
peace initiative.
"Sudan: President 'Rules
Out' Reconciliation With Turabi Praises Egypt", News
Article by MENA, 22 December 1999
23 December 1999 A
joint communique is issued by the Egyptian and Sudanese
governments at the end of President Bashir's visit. The
statement declares that Presidents Mubarak and Bashir discussed
"the latest developments in Sudan and the stages taken
by its legitimate leadership to correct the situation, maintain
unity and achieve stability and security for its people".
Egypt's Foreign Minister Amr Moussa stated that the talks
included "dialogue between the different Sudanese parties
including the people of the south and the northern opposition".
The statement also calls
upon African members of IGAD to co-ordinate with the Egyptian-Libyan
peace initiative. President al-Bashir expresses full readiness
to take any necessary steps to create a suitable atmosphere
for peace talks.
Moussa also states that
he had found support for President Bashir among Gulf leaders
during a recent four-day tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain
and the United Arab Emirates and that "Egypt sees al-Bashir
as the head of the Sudanese state and as a representative
of his country . There's now an openness in Sudan's government.
It is prepared to listen and negotiate and reach a vision
for a new Sudan that accepts all opposition factions".
Full diplomatic relations are restored between Egypt and
Sudan and the Egyptian Ambassador is set to return to Khartoum
(from which he had been withdrawn since 1995) "immediately".
President Bashir's also
states that former Speaker Dr Hassan al-Turabi's ideal of
an Islamic family of nations was over. "How can a country
that cannot realise its national unity and security of its
territories . go beyond its borders in search of (Islamic)
unity of nations?"
Sudan analyst Hassan Abu
Taleb declares that "Turabi took a position that put
an end to reconciliation measures. Distancing Turabi helps
a lot".
"Egypt and Sudan Agree
to Normalise Relations", News Article by DPA, 23 December
1999; "Egypt, Sudan Urge Joint Peace Efforts for Realizing
Peace in Sudan", News Article by XINHUA, 23 December
1999; "Bashir Moves to Boost Sudan Image in Egypt",
News Article by Reuters, 22 December 1999; "Egypt Hails
Sudanese President's Visit", News Article by XINHUA,
22 December 1999; "Focus - Egypt Restores Diplomatic
Ties With Sudan", News Article by Reuters, 23 December
1999; "Focus - Basir, Mubarak to Discuss Sudan's Civil
War", News Article by Reuters, 22 December 1999
25 December 1999 Former
Sudanese Prime Minister and Umma Party leader Sadiq al-Mahdi
meets Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa. He states that
the time was ripe for a reconciliation meeting between the
Sudanese government and its opponents. He also states that
the recent actions taken by the Sudanese President Omer
Al-Bashir, dissolving parliament and declaring a three-month
state of emergency, created a suitable atmosphere to convene
such a meeting. Mahdi added that Egypt and Libya should
co-ordinate with the IGAD peace efforts.
Mahdi declares that: "There
are now circumstances and developments which could favour
an agreement on a comprehensive political solution.(We)
discussed ways of activating a comprehensive political solution
and the steps needed to organise a conference that includes
all factions to the Sudanese dispute."
Mahdi calls for the US government
to back the Egyptian-Libyan peace initiative, "and
to avoid totally any projects that could lead to partial
or bilateral solutions only". He points out that US
policy towards Sudan is opposed by many parties, including
European countries, international relief agencies, and the
UN: "We hope that the US will consider all these views
and take the right decisions."
"Former Sudanese Premier
Says Time is Ripe for Reconciliation Meeting", News
Article by DPA, 25 December 1999; "Developments in
Sudan Favour National Reconciliation: Mahdi", News
Article by Agence France Presse, 25 December 1999 ; "Developments
in Sudan Favour National Reconciliation: Mahdi", News
Article by Agence France Press, 25 December 1999; "Sudan
Opposition Leaders Says (sic) Time for Peace Talks",
News Article by Reuters, 25 December 1999
26 December 1999 Sudanese
Culture and Information Minister Dr Ghazi Saleheddin Atabani
underlines the importance of Egyptian-Sudanese unity in
the settlement of Sudan's problems. He reiterates Sudan's
willingness to hold a peace conference with all opposition
parties on the basis of a commitment to democratic government
and equal rights for all.
"Unity of Sudan, Egypt
Helps Arab Nation: Sudanese Official", News Article
by XINHUA, 26 December 1999
27 December 1999 Sudanese
President Omer al-Bashir states that all political parties,
whether pro- or anti-government, were from now on free to
practice political activities in the country. He declares:
"From now on, there is no more discrimination between
associated and non-associated parties.all political forces
can now organise themselves and start practising political
activities in the manner they wish.We want a constructive
opposition which shares the concerns and interests of he
country, rather than a destructive opposition.to welcome
all Sudanese people around national and fundamental questions."
"Sudanese President
Pledges Political Freedoms", News Article by AFP, 27
December 1999
28 December 1999 Mohammed
Osman al-Mirghani, President of the National Democratic
Alliance, holds talks in Cairo with Egyptian Foreign Minister
Amr Moussa on the joint Egyptian-Libyan peace initiative.
He states that he hopes that the opposition and government
could find "common ground" as soon as possible.
He also suggests that the NDA wants to move directly into
a national reconciliation conference as proposed by the
Egyptian-Libyan initiative rather than going through a preparatory
meeting with government officials to discuss the agenda
and logistics of the conference.
Al-Mirghani also welcomes
the complete restoration of Egyptian-Sudanese diplomatic
relations. He further explains that the NDA did not meet
with Sudanese President al-Bashir during the latter's recent
visit to Cairo because "the NDA doesn't deal with Khartoum,
except through the Egyptian-Libyan initiative".
"Egyptian FM Meets
Sudanese Opposition Leader", News Article by AFP, 28
December 1999
30 December 1999 Sudanese
President al-Bashir states that the National Salvation Revolution
is still working to present a new civilisational Islamic
model and that the government is trying to bring together
the highest possible number of political forces to form
the base of this programme. He refers to the Peace and Conciliation
Committee, stating that it is possible to form a broad-based
national front via the endeavoured national comprehensive
dialogue conference which would be held either in Cairo,
Libya or Khartoum. He expresses the hope that such a front
would mark the beginning for re-structuring the state's
institutions.
"Revolution Will Never
Relinquish Civilisational Project: President Al-Bashir",
News Article by SUNA, 30 December 1999
31 December 1999 Sudanese
President Omer al-Bashir in a New Year's and Independence
Day address to the nation promises that political pluralism,
reconciliation with the opposition and the end of the civil
war will be the government's New Year's resolutions. He
states:
"[W]e want this year
to be a year of reconciliation and peace and a year of agreement,
mutual compromise and an end to war and fighting by a free
Sudanese will which would put the country's unity, security,
stability and welfare above all considerations: A country
that gives equality to the people without discrimination
because of race, sex, creed, social status or economic capacity;
a country that upholds justice on the basis of equality
of citizenship on which all constitutional rights and duties
are based, equality before the law and participation in
all public affairs; a country which is guided by peace,
reconciliation, consultation and democracy, the peaceful
transfer of power and the guarantee of basic freedoms and
all human rights laid down by divine faiths and enshrined
in international conventions to which Sudan is a party and
committed; a country in which there is no bias nor discrimination
except in favour of a weak group which we want to support
or a less developed region that we want to develop . In
our efforts to establish this ideal country, we, hereby,
renew our commitment to all peace initiatives and reconciliation
efforts which we had accepted, the IGAD initiative and the
Egyptian-Libyan initiative.These are sincere efforts and
have been coordinated with all friends of the countries
of the regions and their leaders in order to reach a political
solution .
In order to prepare the
atmosphere leading to important development...with the aim
of achieving peace and reconciliation, we would continue
the measures we started for reconciliation, compromise and
confidence building. In this regard, we would implement
the following measures:
- Formulate a special programme to establish
peace and intensify the social support programme in southern
states and all areas affected by the war.
- Strengthen the implementation of the
peace agreement in order to achieve unity based on mutual
consent and not on coercion and fighting.
President Bashir also stated
that the government would re-enact the Political Association
Law under the name of the Political Parties and Organisations'
Law, and continue the dialogue with all political forces
to unify views on the contents of the law, so as to achieve
the largest possible consensus which would be an expression
of national unity and political reconciliation."
"Sudanese Government
to Boost Democracy in the New Year", News Article by
DPA, 31 December 1999; "Sudan: President Bashir's Independence
Day Address to Nation", News Article by Sudan Television,
1 January 2000
2 January 2000 The Sudan government
announces that it plans to hold talks with opposition parties.
The Ministry of Justice renews its call to all opposition
political forces to present proposals to amend some articles
of the constitution and lay out a law on parties which meets
the demands of all.
Adam Mussa Madibu, a prominent
member of the Umma Party, dismisses the governmental re-organisation
initiated by President al-Bashir and states that the opposition
"rejects participation in the expected new government"
calling instead for a national conference to "resolve
all of Sudan's problems". Sidahmed al-Hussein, a leader
of the opposition Democratic Unionist Party, states that
the government is still dictatorial and should be toppled.
"Sudan Plans Talks With Opposition - Paper",
News Article by Reuters, 2 January 2000
