John Garang In Memoriam - Experts say Salva Kiir can unify South Sudan

- AU chief expresses shock over death of Garang
- Ethiopia laments death of Sudan's First Vice President Garang
- Eritrean president mourns death of Garang
- East Africa mourns Garang, fears unravelling peace

Please read "In memoriam John Garang" by Jim Moore at Passion of the Present.



Photo: Refugees from southern Sudan read the Daily Nation newspapers in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi to catch up with the lastest news following the 01 August death of ex-Sudanese rebel leader John Garang.

Garang is to be buried Saturday 6 August in Juba, the town he selected as the capital of an autonomous southern Sudan, his Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army said. (AFP/Simon Maina)
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UN offers help over Garang death

Here is an except from News.com.au by correspondents in Cairo Aug 3 - via Reuters:

The United Nations has offered to help investigate the cause of the helicopter crash which killed former southern Sudanese rebel leader and First Vice President John Garang, Sudan's top UN envoy, Jan Pronk, said today.

Jan Pronk said Mr Garang's death, announced yesterday, was a setback to a peace deal that ended Africa's longest civil war, but the speedy transition of power was a positive sign that the former rebel group could stay united without Mr Garang.

"There will be an investigation ... we have offered our assistance so that may result in a joint investigation," Mr Pronk said by telephone from Khartoum.

"Uganda, the SPLM, the government, the UN, we need to group all our expertise ... it is necessary in order to take away all suspicion if there are suspicions," he said.

There has been no suggestion of foul play.

News of John Garang's death prompted thousands of southern Sudanese resident in Khartoum to riot, loot and burn in violence not seen in the capital for years. Dozens of people were killed and more than 100 hospitalised yesterday's [Tuesday's] clashes.

Mr Pronk said the violence was an expression of rage and frustration by people whose hopes were raised by Mr Garang's return to Khartoum to join the new power-sharing government after more than two decades in exile.

"They are angry and frustrated and that leads to violence ... it is not political or sectarian, it's a riot," Mr Pronk said.

"It will perhaps take a few days but then it will be over."

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Riots in Sudan after Garang's death



Photo: Police stand next to a burning car in Khartoum, Sudan Monday Aug. 1, 2005. (AP).

Trey Jackson blogs a video and news of the riots - via Instapundit with thanks.



Photo: Sudanese soldiers stand guard in Khartoum, a day after deadly riots broke out in the city, following the announce of the death of John Garang. (AFP/Salah Omar)
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Experts say new SPLM leader can unify south

If I could spend more time on posts today, I would like to have put together some original commentary on the conflicting reports I have been reading re the new SPLM leader, Salva Kiir. Here is an excerpt from a report by William Maclean for Reuters Aug 2 via Sudan Tribune:

Along with many in the SPLM, Kiir privately takes a tougher line than Garang took on southern self-determination, experts say, although publicly he has supported Garang's opinion that it would be preferable for Sudan to remain one country.

Under the peace accords, southerners have the right to vote for secession at the end of a six-year interim period, a concession granted by the Islamist government in response to the rebels' core demand for the right of self-determination.

Experts say anecdotal evidence shows that southerners would vote en masse for secession if the vote were taken today.

"Garang was the best hope for the unity option, so with his death a unity vote is now perhaps less likely," said Horn of Africa expert Alex de Waal.

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Garang to Sack Salva Kiir as Commander-in-Chief

Browsing the Internet today, I came across the following piece published at sudanvisiondaily.com by "admin". Although I cannot be sure of the source, I thought it was worth logging various points of view. Note the piece was published online July 8, 2005:

In a move seen as ending cooperation between SPLM/A leader Dr. John Garang and his deputy Salva Kiir Mayardit, a source close to the SPLM/A leader disclosed that the latter will issue a decision appointing Mujakim Akot as Commander-in-Chief of SPLM/A forces to replace Salva Kiir.

The source said the relationship between Garang his deputy has been strained to the point of the two no longer having confidence in one another. According to the source, the expected decision is believed to arouse a row, referring to SPLM/A's promise to assign the position of Commander-in-Chief to Wyai Deng Ajuk, adding that SPLM/A rejected his appointment because he belongs to Shilluk.

In another development, Darfur rebels have admitted receipt of a craft-load of arms sent by SPLM/A in support of their movement in Jebel Marrah. A member of the Darfur rebels delegation that arrived in Cairo, Tuesday, confirmed to SMC their receipt of that support but added that a number of their political leaders rejected dealing with SPLM/A.

"SPLM is running after passing its own agenda through the Darfur Movement, and that is rejected by some within the ranks of the movement," said that member, describing SPLM/A objectives and political line as flabby, dismissing as irrelevant any future alliance with it.

Meanwhile, SPLM/A has agreed in principle on the Mandela Charity Centre initiative aimed at pushing the momentum of South-South dialogue.

A source on the Coordinating Council for Southern Sudan (CCSS) said the Council proposed an initiative calling for convening the South-South Dialogue Conference, to be attended by southern sectors and parties, at both home and abroad to bring the various viewpoints closer, and to come up with a vision to maintain the forthcoming peace.

The source added that the initiative will be patronized by CCSS Chairman, Riak Gai, and the Minister of Electricity, Ali Tamim Fartak. The source told SMC that the Committee would hold meetings in Nairobi on July 15, that will last for 5 days to discuss the unified agenda that will be submitted to SPLM/A. It is to be noted that a number of southerners will arrive from the USA, Britain, and Cairo, to participate in the meetings organized by the Mandela Charity Centre.

Source: http://www.sudanvisiondaily.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1995

Tags: Garang Sudan Darfur Africa