Africa
South upset as Bashir ducks forum
Posted Thursday, October 22 2009 at 19:22
Sudan President Omar al-Bashir failed to attend the 35th Extraordinary Session of the Igad Council of Ministers on Collective Protocol Agreement implementation process with Government of Southern Sudan in Uganda this week.
President Bashir’s absence, analyst believe, was prompted by fears that he could be arrested following his indictment by the International Criminal Court.
Strong delegation
The Government of Southern Sudan, which sent a strong delegation to Kampala hoping that the peace deal implementation by both parties was going to be discussed, expressed disappointment that Khartoum failed to send even the minister for Foreign Affairs.
A statement from the South that never mentioned fears that President Bashir could be arrested in Uganda, only said the Northern government threw into disarray discussions of ending the threat posed by the Uganda rebels Lords Resistance Army in Southern Sudan.
“LRA is of great concern, not only to Southern Sudan, but to other countries in the region as well. If anything, the LRA seems to be expanding the scope of its murderous activities with alarming rapidity. Cross border incursions by the LRA continue to claim innocent lives in Southern Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic,” the GOSS statement said.
Foreign insurgency
It said that under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, there was a clear obligation upon the Government of National Unity to assist the GOSS and the SPLA to end any presence of foreign insurgency groups such as the LRA on Sudanese soil.
“Unfortunately, GONU has not lived up to its duty. Addressing the LRA menace calls for concerted regional action and to that end, the African Union should strongly urge countries of the region, particularly those affected, to step up their contribution in the fight against the LRA,” it said.
The South, however, welcomed the recently declared US – Sudan policy that plans to help realise peace in Darfur and the full implementation of the CPA with all the key actors.
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