New Kush
Mosques in the Sudanese arena
Memorandum of Sudanese civil society organizations for a just peace in Sudan (Part One)
6. Arranging the security conditions during the transitional period
Based on press releases on July 10 and by IGAD Special Envoy Lazarus Samboye
The position of civil society organizations for just peace
We, the members of Sudanese civil society organizations composed of non-governmental charitable organizations, youth, women, religious groups, and professional organizations in South Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, and South Blue Nile, were represented by our working umbrella - namely, the Sudanese Federal Organizations, the New Sudan Community Networks, the New Sudan Women's Association, the New Sudan Youth Association, the Amalgamated South Sudan Community Organizations, and the Sudanese Women's Association in Nairobi. We met in Nairobi on Friday, 5/7/2002 This paper presents our position on the issue of laying the foundations for a peace agreement in Sudan:
Realizing the tragic fact that Sudan has been divided into ethnic, religious, and class divisions, which has led to the population losing a common heritage and destiny, and has also led to an unequal distribution of wealth, unbalanced development, and unfair sharing of power, in addition to many different forms of deliberate policies of marginalization and neglect.
Based on the affirmation and renewal of confidence in the IGAD peace process, and in President Daniel arap Moi, and the Declaration of Principles for IGAD as a single, sustainable and credible platform for a comprehensive solution to the Sudanese conflict;
In appreciation of the growing efforts made by the regional and international community to bring peace to our country;
Recognizing the fact that the various rounds of negotiations have clearly addressed all controversial issues between the two parties to the conflict;
And
Demanding the involvement of civil society in the peace-making process without any delay. We therefore present our position on the immediate cessation of hostilities and the establishment of a just and lasting peace in Sudan.
1.1 The issues of sovereignty and identity are the right of the people of Sudan in their religious, cultural and social diversity and ethnic formations, and not of the Sudanese state, which is necessarily dominated by Arabs.
2.1 Self-determination is a democratic and human right guaranteed to all peoples of the world. It is not limited to the population of Sudan.
2.2 The people of South Sudan, in accordance with the borders of January 1, 1956, have the right to exercise a referendum under international control during a transitional period of two (1) years, with the following options:
2.2.1 Unit; Or
2.2.2 Separation
3.2 The people of Abyei have the right to self-determination, before the general referendum of South Sudan, to decide either to remain part of South Kordofan or to join Bahr el-Ghazal. If they choose to join Bahr el Ghazal, they will therefore have the right to determine their fate together with the people of South Sudan;
4.2 The Nuba people have the right to self-determination before the end of the transitional period, and after the referendum in South Sudan. The Nuba people have the right to the following options:
1.4.2 Unity with Northern Sudan;
2.4.2 Unity with South Sudan; Or
3.4.2 Establishment of an independent state.
5.2 The people of Southern Blue Nile have the right to exercise their self-determination through a simultaneous referendum with the people of the Nuba Mountains, and they have the right to the following options:
1.5.2 Unity with Northern Sudan;
2.5.2 Unification with South Sudan; Or
3.5.2 Establishment of an independent state.
In our report that religion, ethnic and cultural issues are the sources and causes of instability and suffering of the people over a historical period of time, we, the Sudanese civil society organizations of Southern Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, and Southern Blue Nile, acknowledge that the people of Northern Sudan have the right to govern themselves in accordance with Islamic laws. Therefore, we also have the right to govern ourselves in a southern, secular, democratic state within the framework of federal arrangements.
1.3 Federal State Structures: There will be a federal government in a neutral capital that is agreed upon by all concerned parties, a federal supreme court, a federal parliament, a federal security force, and a secular federal constitution.
There will be an Islamic state in the north, with its own Supreme Islamic Court, parliament, regional army and security forces. The democratic southern government will have a supreme court, a parliament, a regional state army and security forces.
2.1.3 State and Religion: In a federal state, the constitution must preserve the sanctity of the federal state being democratic and non-theocratic (religious - the translator).
1.4 A referendum protocol shall be agreed upon by all parties and shall become part and parcel of the peace agreement; And
2.4 There shall be an established “referendum committee” composed of the parties to the conflict, regional and international bodies, specifically IGAD, the African Union, the European Union, the Troika (the United States, the United Kingdom, and Norway), and the United Nations Political Affairs Department.
1.5 There shall be a transitional period of two (2) years between the signing of the Peace Agreement and the referendum in South Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, and Southern Blue Nile;
2.1.5 During the transitional period, Sudan will have three constitutions, a northern (Islamic) constitution, a southern (democratic) constitution, a federal (democratic and secular) constitution, and five political entities: the South Sudan entity, the Northern Sudan entity, the Nuba Mountains entity, the Southern Blue Nile entity, and a federal entity;
3.1.5 The federal government must be formed in rotation, and the Democratic Government of Southern Sudan will assume leadership in the first phase of the transitional period.
4.1.5 Oil exploitation must be stopped during the transitional period.
6. Arranging the security conditions during the transitional period
1.6 SPLA forces remain intact in South Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, and Southern Blue Nile;
2.6 There will be a separation of the engaged forces, specifically the forces of the Government of Sudan and the forces of the Sudan People's Liberation Army. The forces of the Government of Sudan must be moved to the north of latitude 13º north;
3.1.6 There shall be international peacekeeping forces and international observers along the 13º north latitude, and in any other place as deemed necessary and deemed appropriate by the Military Technical Committee;
4.1.6 Treating the SPLA and the Government of Sudan Army equally during the transitional period in terms of logistics, salaries and benefits;
5.1.6 The principles of equitable distribution of wealth are specified in the peace agreement.
6.1.6 There shall be a joint military technical committee composed of the Government of Sudan, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement and agreed-upon international forces; And
7.1.6 The three entities: specifically South Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, and southern Blue Nile; During the transitional period, it will have the right to establish regional and international diplomatic, commercial and cultural relations, including financing.
8.1.6 Facilitating the resettlement of displaced persons and refugees during the transitional period to exercise their right to referendum.
7.1 Violation of any clause of the peace agreement during the transitional period requires that the witnesses of the peace agreement be informed of it urgently.
2.1.7 Once the peace agreement is canceled as a result of its violation, the three entities, specifically South Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, and Southern Blue Nile, will have the right to declare independence unilaterally, either individually or jointly.
3.1.7 If a federation arrangement becomes an option, the southern state will retain its regional army and other security forces while contributing to the federal army and federal security forces.
4.1.7 Witnesses to the agreement must ensure that the breach of the agreement must be remedied within a period of fifteen days through intervention or we declare an independent state/s.
1.8 The following countries: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya (representing IGAD), the African Union, the Troika (the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway), South Africa, Nigeria, and the Arab League must be witnesses to the agreement between the Sudanese government and the SPLM/A;
2.1.8 The role and responsibility of witnesses is to deploy observers, finance and provide logistical support for the peace process, evaluate the path of the peace process, and supervise the smooth implementation of the peace agreement.
According to the document dated June 30 and issued by the mediators conducting the current round of IGAD talks, we, as civil society organizations, noticed that this document bears the date of the Islamic Front’s coup on June 30, 1989. Therefore, we have great doubt that the source of the document was the National Islamic Front government for its political purposes. At the same time, we know that the IGAD talks began on June 18 - July 20, 2002. If any document is to have been issued, it must have been dated before June 30.
Finally, as a final conclusion, it must be confirmed that the people of South Sudan, the people of the Nuba Mountains, and the people of southern Blue Nile are the ones who have the right to determine their fate, just like all the peoples of the world.
Signatures
Representative of the New Sudan Women's Union
President of the New Sudan Youth Union
Representative of the Sudanese Women's Union in Nairobi
Picture to:
· America, Britain, Norway (Troika)
· Sudan People’s Liberation Movement
· Government of Sudan
· IGAD countries
· African Union
· Arab League
· European Union
· To the governments of: Nigeria, South Africa,
· New Sudan Friendship Association Kenya
· Secretary-General of the United Nations
Non-governmental organizations
(1) It is noteworthy that the agreement concluded on 07/20/2002 in the Kenya negotiations between the Islamic Front government and the Popular Movement decided that the transitional period would be six years.