Re Abeyi: SPLM's Pagan Amum says both sides tentatively agree on accepting decision by international arbitration court

From Sudan Radio Service, 25 June 2009:
SPLM Says Washington Meeting Will Help Full CPA Implementation

(Washington D.C.) – The CPA partners, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and the National Congress Party say that they are optimistic that the Washington D.C. CPA meeting will enhance the full implementation of the CPA.

The SPLM secretary-general, Pagan Amum, spoke to our producer Hussein Halfawi from Washington on Wednesday.

Halfawi: How satisfied is the SPLM with the outcome and the recommendations of the Washington meetings?

[Pagan Amum]: “The Washington meeting was a good meeting, because it has highlighted the issue of CPA implementation. This meeting comes at a time when only 18 months remain until the end of the interim period, to conduct the referendum in southern Sudan, and 10 months to go before the elections in Sudan and there are many issues that have not been implemented yet in the CPA. We hope that this conference and the meetings after this one will help us to concentrate on the implementation of the CPA, and that it will help pressurize the NCP to stop delaying the implementation of the CPA, particularly the referendum act, freedom of expression, and the issue of border demarcation and the census results - which have all been manipulated by the NCP.”

Halfawi: We know that SPLM have disagreed with the NCP on the census and border demarcation issues. How sure are you that these two issues will be resolved in the coming meetings in Khartoum and Juba?

[Pagan Amum: “We have agreed to continue our meetings, with the participation of the US. In the next few days there will be input from the IGAD countries. We hope that with the participation of these countries and particularly the US, we can exercise the necessary pressure to implement the CPA.”

Halfawi: Have you discussed the Abyei issue?

[Pagan Amum]: “Yes, we have discussed the Abyei issue, and there is a tentative agreement from the two sides on implementing the decision which will come out from the international arbitration court on Abyei, and to prevent any outbreaks of violence in the area.”

Halfawi: Can we say that the NCP and the SPLM after this meeting will come back with a different spirit to implement the CPA, or will there still be doubts and and exchanges of accusations?

[Pagan Amum]: “Concerning the issue of the implementation of the CPA, there are delaying tactics from the NCP side, we hope that the new American concern and the new international concern for the full implementation of the CPA will be able to create a new atmosphere to encourage the NCP to lift the barriers that they have put in the way of the implementation of the agreement, and to encourage them implement it, so they can normalize their relationship with the US.”

Halfawi: The head of the NCP delegation, Doctor Ghazi Salah el-Din announced earlier that they will discuss the issue of normalizing the Sudan-US relations first with the US officials, and then the CPA issues, do you think they went to Washington only for that purpose?

[Pagan Amum]: It seems that they came to the US to normalize their relations and to persuade the US to lift the sanctions on them, and to erase the name of Sudan from the list of the countries that are suspected of supporting terrorism in the world, in addition to other bilateral issues. But what has emerged there in the US is that the Americans wish to progress on the ground in the implementation of the CPA, and a resolution to the Darfur conflict, before normalizing their relations with the NCP.”

Halfawi: In our interview with the SPLM delegation in Nairobi before you left for Washington, you complained about the lack of transparency in the distribution of the oil revenue to the south. Did you discuss this issue as well?

[Pagan Amum]: “We have discussed all the issues, including the lack of transparency in the process of administrating and distributing the oil revenue. We are concentrating on working on the implementation of the CPA, to realize the full implementation of peace in all parts of Sudan, and to achieve a democratic regime in Sudan. On this basis, we can develop a good relationship with the US and the rest of the world.”

That was the secretary-general of the SPLM, Pagan Amum, speaking to Sudan Radio Service from Washington.

Further reading:

Aug 16, 2005 - Sudan Watch: Sudan: Abyei Boundary Commission report

May 30, 2006 - Sudan Watch: Interview with Dr Douglas H Johnson, expert on the Abyei Boundary Commission - Hofre Nahas area; part of Bahr El Ghazal transferred to Darfur in 1960s

Aug 21, 2006 - Sudan Watch: S. Sudan: SPLM says Abyei is exclusively for nine Ngok Dinka Chiefdoms

Jun 29, 2009 - Sudan Watch: Re Abyei: NCP says both sides agree on accepting decision made by international arbitration

For further reports, click on Abyei label here below.