ICC NOTE: Salva Kiir Mayradit told a ban-Arab newspaper he fears war will return to southern Sudan if peace in Darfur is not achieved.
Salva Kiir fears war return to S. Sudan if Darfur crisis continues
14 November 2006.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair shakes hands with Sudanese Vice-President Salva Kiir Mayardit in London Oct 31, 2006In a long interview with London based Asharq Alawsat during his visit to England this month, the First Vice President admitted that Darfur crisis is hindering the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed with Khartoum in January 2005.
The said the international communitys whole attention has shifted to Darfur and all the cards have been mixed up.
Salva Kiir reiterated his position in favor of the deployment of UN forces in Darfur ; because the government has failed to protect civilians in the region. But he explained he do not want international forces in Darfur without the Sudanese government approval.
On the presidency functioning, he acknowledged the existence of differences on Darfur and the CPA implementation. Salva Kiir blamed the ruling National Congress Party for the delay in peace enforcement.
Nonetheless, Kiir said he is happy in partnership with the NCP.
I am still in the palace with President Al-Bashir and his deputy Ali Osman. Have you heard we quarreled? he questioned.
Regarding the future of the country, The First Vice President expressed the Keenness of the SPLM to preserve the unity of the country. He said that the SPLM has strong presence in the northern part of the country.
Below the full text of the interview, subheading inserted editorially:
Asharq Al-Awsat Interviews Sudans First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit
13/11/2006
By Mohammed al-Hassan Ahmad and Mustafa Sirri in London
TALKS WITH BRITISH OFFICIALS
Are you satisfied with your visit to Britain and the results it achieved? Mayardit: The visit was in response to an invitation from the British Government that was made a long time ago but I did not come. When we set the 29 th of last month as the date, I honored it and arrived in London that same night. The questions in all my meetings with British officials, including Prime Minister Tony Blair, focused on three issues. The first was the progress of implementing the comprehensive peace signed last year and whether it was proceeding as required and the way we wanted or not. Second, the Darfur problem and the Sudanese Governments stand on the international forces and the Sudanese Peoples (Liberation) Movements (SPLM) stand, as a party, on these forces entry into Darfur . The third was the problem of the Army of God that is opposed to the Ugandan Government and the ongoing negotiations in Juba between the two sides. The last question was about the aid that Britain can give for development, specifically in south Sudan . I was going to raise this question if they did not ask about it. But in my view, the visit was successful and we are satisfied with it.
Was there agreement about giving aid and a specific amount of money?
Mayardit: There was no agreement, or a categorical one, on a specific amount of money but they promised to do something in the education, agriculture, and health services fields and build the capabilities of the government in the south. But no specific amount of money was determined for all these things.
SANCTIONS ON DARFUR FORCES
British Prime Minister Tony Blairs official spokesman said he sent at his meeting with you a clear warning to the Sudanese Government if it did not agree to the entry of the international forces into Darfur. He said that he understood that you still adhere to your stand on these forces entry. Do you have an idea about the sanctions that could happen?
Mayardit: Not at all. We have no idea about the sanctions that could happen. Our acceptance of the forces entry is clear, we declared it very early on, and conveyed it to President Al-Bashir and all the National Congress members. We said very simply that we have UN forces in the south, the Nuba Mountains , and south of the Blue Nile as the comprehensive peace agreement stipulated. But in Darfur, we have no objection if these forces that are deployed in the south go to Darfur for two reasons. The first is to protect the civilians who are killed and the women who are raped, especially as the government has failed to protect the citizens in Darfur, and for this reason, we do not see why we should not ask for backing from outside to deal with what we have failed in and to bring international forces to facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid.
I conveyed this view to British Prime Minister Tony Blair and told him that the National Congress under President Omar al-Bashir rejects the entry of the international forces for several reasons. The first is that their entry will be under Resolution 1706 and the government believes there are ambiguous clauses in it that need clarification, especially the one that talks about the presence of police with the international forces. What are their tasks and what will they do. There is no explanation for this and there is no mention of how long will these forces stay or the mandate they are given. This raises suspicions about these international forces. They believe that these forces aim is to arrest those accused of human rights violations and war crimes. I told Blair if the people know that these forces will not arrest anyone, then that will be better for defining their task. I said to Blair it is your duty to explain all this to President al-Bashir. The president himself reiterated several times that the international forces would enter to occupy Sudan and called it a new colonialism. I pointed out to Blair that if this thought is in your mind, then you must explain this to us from now and if you do you not explain to al-Bashir that you will not stay in Sudan . There is also the belief that these forces will come to bring down the government, like it happened in Iraq . I conveyed all these things and apprehensions to Blair and he said: There is no desire like the one you conveyed to me. But he said: "If the government does not change its stand within three weeks, then you will not have time to think." I asked him specifically: What do you want to do? But Blair refused to answer and said: "I will not tell you. Only you have a specific period of time."
Do you not think that the stands of the two partners in government have tempted the international community to send the international forces to Darfur and open the way before them?
Mayardit: Not at all. The international forces will definitely come even if the National Congress and the SPLM agree on a unified opinion, and not because we have different opinions. We do not believe that their arrival will harm any person but will help stop the war in Darfur . If you are personally incapable of doing something, can you not ask help from me? We have been unable to bring peace, defeat those carrying arms, or silence them militarily and say we have won militarily and therefore the international community should intervene because of our failure and this is what happened now.
WAR WILL RETURN TO THE SOUTH
In view of these complications that you are talking about, what is the way out then?
Mayardit: The way out is first a solution of the Darfur problem because it is affecting the peace agreement that is not proceeding in the required way because the international communitys whole attention has shifted to Darfur and all the cards have been mixed up. The war will return to the south if peace is not achieved in Darfur and this is really our fear. We do not want the international forces to enter Darfur by force but with the Sudanese Governments approval and we are part of this government. President al-Bashir speaks on behalf of the government and we have not agreed to the international forces entry. Even when it was reported that the government decided at the cabinet to reject these forces entry and a statement to that effect was made, it was not correct.
PRESIDENCY FUNCTIONING
Is the presidency institution functioning in a harmonious way and as required and do all the issues go before it before other parties? Mayardit: The presidency institution is functioning in the way it was formed but we differ on issues like Darfur and also on implementing the clauses of the peace agreement, which have taken a long time. We talk about an issue and leave it as we do not find a solution for it. For example, the Abyei problem needs discussion and even though we agreed on it before signing the peace agreement, the National Congress backed down and we started negotiations on the problem and how the civilian administration should govern the area, which is clear in the agreement. If our partners want us to create something new that does not exist in the agreement, then I refuse. This shows that we did not act to implement the agreement and this undermines it. The presidency has not met for some time and whenever we sit down to talk about issues, we agree on some of them and disagree on others. I believe seriously that the SPLM is not to blame.
SOUTH SUDAN REALIZATIONS
There is talk that the SPLM got $1 billion from the oil share in the south but nothing concrete has impacted on the southerners lives. Is this true?
Mayardit: I cannot comment on this question but you have to go to the south and visit the Juba , Malakal, and Waw areas to see personally if there is anything new there or not. The workers are now spending the salaries and you can ask if this did happen or not and whether the $1 billion you are talking about were received or not and when was it received. These issues do not need my comment but to be seen in practice. If it is confirmed that they did not go to their targets, we have a commission for fighting corruption and there is the general auditor department that was formed in the southern government and they can take the necessary measures. If there is embezzlement, then accountability has to be held and I will not protect any person whatever his position if it is proved that he is corrupt.
PRESENCE IN JUBA
Some newspapers in Sudan pointed out that you are present in Juba more than in Khartoum and the inference was that you have no desire to participate in the issues that interest all of Sudan . Is this so or is your dedication to the south and you feel marginalized when you are in Khartoum ?
Mayardit: On the contrary, I am eager to participate in everything that concerns Sudan . We are interested in stability and in letting every person have his share. But there are complications in the situation in the south and I stayed there for a long time and found there were security problems which required my presence so as to reach solutions for them. This was the reason for my presence in Juba for long periods of time. Several people were killed in attacks recently and those behind these attacks and who is killing people remain unknown. In the last incident, 38 persons were killed simultaneously in three areas, the Mankala - Juba, Nimuli - Juba, and Torit - Juba roads, with only seconds between them. There were children and women among the victims in civilian cars all of which were burned. They were shot at close range. There was a second attack the second day on villages in Qumba southeast of Juba . The Peoples Army moved to the area and a clash ensued with the attackers, four persons were killed from both sides, and 15 attackers were captured. The press in Khartoum covered this issue and I do not want to comment on it because we have ordered an investigation with those seized to know their backgrounds and to which party they belong. We will see whether they are civilians or military, are from the south or from the Army of God, and why are they continuing to kill civilians, especially as their delegation is in Juba for the negotiations. I informed President Omar al-Bashir and Vice President Ali Osman. The outcome of the investigations has not appeared yet but we are discussing the matter.
