Sudan rejects attempts to move Darfur talks from Doha, officials

(ST)
Sudan stressed its commitment to Doha as venue for the peace process to end Darfur conflict and announced its rejection of any attempt to move the talks to Cairo.
Darfur mediation met yesterday in Doha with head of Sudanese government delegation for the peace talks, announcing the resumption of their efforts to reach a negotiated settlement for the seven year conflict.
JEM leader, who is currently in Cairo, said he does not seek an alternative to Doha but wants Egypt to support the process with its expertise and knowledge about Sudan to help the Qatari officials to better deal with the conflict.
"Doha is the only channel for talks with those who are willing to reach peace," said powerful Sudanese presidential assistant and the NCP deputy chief Nafie Ali Nafie in a press conference held in Cairo Monday concluding two day talks about Southern Sudan referendum and Darfur conflict.
Nafie said they discussed the Doha peace process with Egyptian officials. He further asserted they want the talks to be governed by a specific time frame rejecting "rebel maneuvers to enter into negotiations and to get out according to their mood".
"We want the completion of Darfur issue before the referendum," he stressed.
"Today, we need to focus on the unity of Sudan and peace in Darfur; in order to concentrate our efforts to achieve a big development boom planned in Sudan," he added.
The spokesperson of the government delegation, Adam Omer Rahama, speaking from the Qatari capital reiterated in similar remarks Khartoum’s commitment to Doha as venue of the peace talks saying the arrival of JEM leader to Cairo aims to confuse the mediation and the host country and to cover their actions the ground.
The mediation said yesterday it would invite all the parties, including JEM rebels to resume talks during the last week of May.


Aboul Ghait Calls for South Sudan Motivation Ahead of Referendum
(SV)
Egypt Foreign Minister, Ahmed Aboul Ghait has stressed the importance of international efforts collaboration for supporting Sudan ruling partners through provision of incentives package for rendering unity attractive, taking into account the nearing date of South Sudan self-determination referendum,  set for January, 2011.
Egypt Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Hossam Zaki reported that Aboul Ghait   had briefed the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative to Sudan, UNMIS Chief, Haile Menkerios, on the Egyptian vision regarding action during the coming stage till the conduction of the referendum. According to Zaki, the minister discussed with Menkerios the situations in South Sudan, relationships between North and South Sudan, as well as the referendum preparation process.
Zaki said that the meeting with Menkerios was held at the foreign ministry   within the framework of consultations regarding the UNMIS mandate in South Sudan in the light of the UNSC resolution extending that mandate up to mid 2011.  
Sudan National Congress Party delegation paid a visit to Cairo for meeting with senior Egyptian officials. The delegation was chaired by Presidential Assistant, Dr. Nafie Ali Nafie, and Presidential Advisor, Dr. Mustafa Osman Ismail.
Ismail stated that the visit was not focusing surrender of JEM Chairman who had been exiled in Egypt, stressing that the visit was arranged since a long time for continuation of Khartoum-Cairo political meetings on issues of mutual interest. He added that the order of Ibrahim’a arrest as terrorist had been issued by Court far before the visit.
He said, “Neither Abdelwahid, nor Ibrahim could impede Darfur peace negotiations.”  And the government was capable of establishing peace   should JEM Chief turned down the peace call.
Commenting on the Nile water agreement recently signed by only four members to the Nile basin, Ismail said, "Of course, we have discussed the issue with the Egyptians as it risks the national security of the two countries.”
Following his meeting with the delegation, the Arab League SG, Amr Moussa, stated that the league, in cooperation with Sudan Government, had exerted considerable efforts for resolving Darfur issue politically through Doha Talks. 


In a press conference joint with Moussa, Dr. Nafie reported that the AL had presented a host of proposals on Sudan unity, noting that the meeting with the Secretary General dealt with the issue of referendum and voluntary unity.

LRA ambush in Yambio, Western Equatoria State kills 3 people
(Mirayafm)
Three people have died in Yambio, Western Equatoria after being caught in an ambush by the Lord's Resistant Army (LRA).  According to Radio Miraya's correspondent, two of the dead are senior officials from the State's Ministry of Education. In other LRA incidents, eight people were abducted by the LRA on Sunday in Nabaaria Boma in Tambura county, Western Equatoria State.
Commissioner of Tambura county, Mabenge Joseph Luka, said that the eight managed to escape after being severely beaten by the LRA. One of the abductees, Gabriel Gaitano,  said that there were 34 rebels and 3 unarmed women in the group that has conducted a mass looting spree in the area.
Large amounts of medicine from the Primary Health Care Clinic Unit sponsored by International Medical Corps (IMC) and a church, have been raided by the LRA.  The rebel group reportedly burnt houses, stole food and injured four people in a village called Zangia, four miles away from Tambura centre, as they moved west of the county. The injured are currently being treated in Tambura

Southern Sudan gets US $55 million in agricultural aid
(Mirayafm)
The US government, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has launched a new partnership agricultural program with the government of Southern Sudan (GoSS). The Food, Agribusiness and Rural Markets (FARM) program is an agricultural initiative that will be implemented over the next five years between the southern Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and USAID.   US $ 55 million has been budgeted for the program.
The program was officially launched in Southern Sudan by Minister of Regional Cooperation, General Oyai Deng Ajack, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry; Samson Kwaje, US Charge de Affairs, Robert E. Whitehead and the USAID/Sudan Mission Director, William Hammik

Are We There Yet?
(Opinion)
The Sudanese are still putting their hands over their hearts, anxious about the future of our beloved country. We are now living historical moments and everything is standing at the bifurcation of the ongoing clamorous developments.
The Sudanese nation, replete with political magnates and maneuvers, is looking for ways and means to avoid the existing chaos and groupings.
The people are also looking for political effectiveness so that politicians may put their disagreements aside.
It is high time to form different groups among Sudanese in the south and in the north to discuss among themselves the issue of unity to come out with practical ideas to be implemented for the interest of the citizens in form of improving infrastructure, development and basic services.
It is time for confession and reconciliation besides patient listening to the people who still feel grievances so that appropriate recommendations be submitted to the concerned authorities to remove all bitterness.
All our political leaders need to have strong will with good faith to save the unity of the country and to open direct channels with the government to exchange ideas on the consequences of the secession to work out a plan in the remaining short period to save the nation from the threats of separation.
In this connection many of us compare the present situation in the country with the friction in France at the beginning of the First World War between President Poincare and the opposition leader Clemenceau.
Poincare knew how to overstep personal differences for the sake of his country,
At one point, he sent for Clemenceau to come and see him in his palace.
He told Clemenceau that despite the differences between them he proposes that both of them make a covenant to freeze the difference till the war ends, since this is the only way to save France.
Clemenceau replied that the president knows very well how much hatred he has in his heart towards him, but at the same time he considered the call of the president to any citizen as an order, so he agreed to cooperate and proposed a cabinet.
The French President signed the decree and a cooperative era started between the two political enemies for the sake of France.
After the elections results, Sudanese are very hopeful that the politicians had understood the lesson to avoid repeating the same old story of tribal and personal differences, hence bringing the country again to the brink of political crises.
At this stage we can but hope that all our politicians sit together in complete disregard to their differences and come out with resolutions which might help in maintaining the unity of the country and help establish a healthy regime for the good of the Sudan and its people.