The Sudanese Government and the SPLA finally did the deal: after almost a year's worth of haggling, they finally signed a Cease Fire.
NAIROBI, Kenya - A peace accord ending Africa's longest-running civil war requires Sudan's government to withdraw at least 91,000 troops from the rebel-controlled south, a rebel official said Sunday, revealing new details of the deal signed last week.The forces must pull out within 2 1/2 years, while a proposed government for the autonomous southern Sudan will field a separate army using its share of oil and tax revenues as well as international aid, rebel spokesman Samson Kwaje said.
{...} The rebels, meanwhile, have eight months to withdraw their forces from northern Sudan. They must pull out 30 percent of their fighters within four months of a signing ceremony scheduled for Jan. 9 in Kenya, said Ad'Dirdeiry Hamed, deputy Sudanese ambassador to Kenya.
The rebel pullout will cover the Nuba Mountains, land along the southern Blue Nile and Abyei, areas now held by the insurgents but which the government considers to be a traditional part of northern Sudan, Hamed said.
{...}Also, government and rebel forces each will contribute 20,000 troops to new, integrated army units. Rebels and the government also agreed to demobilize an unspecified number of troops, Kwaje said.
{...}Under the accord, Sudan will rewrite the constitution to ensure that Islamic law, or Sharia, is not applied to non-Muslims anywhere in the country, Kwaje said{...}
Hmmmmm.
The hairs on the back of my neck are calm but are still ready to twitch. Why? you ask? Well, it's worth noting that integrated Sudanese army units might prove a bad idea, as that's how the civil war got started when the Brits evacuated in 1956.
Yet, I remain cautiously optimistic that this will put an end to the war.
If for no other reason than this cease fire has finally cemented my timeline on the manuscript.
Posted by Kathy at January 2, 2005 10:54 PM