POLITICS: Sudanese President Holds Rare Meeting with Rebel Leader in Kenya

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Katy Salmon

NAIROBI, Apr 2 2003 (IPS) - President Omar el Bashir of Sudan held a rare meeting with rebel leader John Garang in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Wednesday, boosting hopes of progress at peace talks, which resume on Sunday.

The meeting between the two long-time foes was the brainchild of Kenya’s new president Mwai Kibaki who hosted them at his official Nairobi residence, State House.

Kenya is hosting the ongoing Sudanese peace talks under the auspices of the regional Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), made up of front-line states.

A State House official said President Bashir and Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) leader Garang were optimistic about bringing an end to Sudan’s long-running war within the next three months.

"The leaders committed themselves to be forthright on upcoming issues in the negotiations with a view to boosting the peace process. They jointly expressed hope on reaching a final peace agreement by the end of June this year," he said.

Kibaki urged the leaders to be flexible and to make concessions if they are to achieve this goal, saying the negotiations have reached a "critical stage".

The road to peace has been fraught with difficulties because of deep-seated distrust between the Sudanese government and the SPLA. The two sides regularly trade accusations of cease-fire violations.

At State House, Bashir and Garang promised to abide by the commitments they had made in previous rounds of talks – which is good news for ordinary Sudanese civilians who bear the brunt of the war.

"They reaffirmed their commitment to honour the agreements reached between the parties, particularly the Machakos Protocol of 20th July 2002, the Memorandum of Understanding on the Cessation of Hostilities and the related Addendum, and to facilitate unrestricted delivery of humanitarian assistance," said the State House aide.

"They discussed possible ways to enhance the arrangements for monitoring and verifying the Cessation of Hostilities," he added.

In the Machakos Protocol – the first big breakthrough in ending the stalemate at the talks – the Sudanese government agreed to exempt southern Sudan from Islamic Sharia (law) and to allow a referendum on independence after a six-year interim period.

In October, it was followed by a three month cessation of hostilities agreement, which has repeatedly been extended, now through to the end of June.

In February, the two sides agreed that monitors from countries bordering Sudan as well as the United States, Britain, Italy and Norway will be sent to Sudan to report on cease-fire violations. This has not yet happened though it was undoubtedly discussed at the closed-door talks.

Wednesday’s meeting should give added impetus to the peace talks when they reopen on Sunday. The main item on the agenda is security arrangements.

"It’s about near the end because it’s only the question of few issues," Kenyan mediator Lazaro Sumbeiywo told IPS on Wednesday.

Bashir and Garang do not meet often, their first face-to-face meeting being in Uganda on July 27, 2002, one week after the signing of the Machakos Protocol. That meeting was widely applauded as "historic" and as a positive example of how African states can be effective mediators in their neighbours’ problems.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s success in arranging the meeting was attributed to the fact that he and Garang have a long-standing personal relationship, having been schoolmates in Tanzania.

Kibaki had hoped to meet Bashir in January, but the meeting was called off when the Kenyan president was hospitalised because of concerns over blood clots in his legs.

Observers, including U.S. Special Envoy Senator John Danforth, have been calling for closer communication between the Bashir and Garang, saying it would build confidence and speed progress at the talks. The leaders now appear to have heard that plea.

At State House, Bashir and Garang agreed on the need to open communication channels between them. They also discussed ways of enhancing communication at other levels. The atmosphere during Bashir’s one-day state visit to Kenya was described as "very friendly".

The SPLA took up arms against the Sudanese government in 1983 to fight for greater autonomy for the south. Some two million people have so far died in what is now Africa’s longest-running conflict, mainly through war-related famine.