Anyone got one? Come on people, this is the Internet. If you can't find it here, there isn't one to be had.
The warring parties signed three protocols late Wednesday on power-sharing and the administration of three disputed areas in central Sudan, clearing up the last remaining political issues needed for a final peace accord. The signing took place in Naivasha, 60 miles west of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. The accord is unrelated to fighting in the Darfur region of western Sudan, where fighting between the government and rebels have raised fears of ethnic cleansing. All that remains for the two sides to work out are procedural matters to end the 21-year civil conflict, in which more than 2 million people have perished, mainly through war-induced famine. "The next step will entail negotiations on the detail of each step of the transition," chief mediator Lazaro Sumbeiywo told The Associated Press. "I am going to meet these groups now." Despite Wednesday's agreement, it could take months to determine if the diplomatic solution will translate to peace on the ground. Negotiators are expected to take a short break before returning to talks in Nairobi to iron out the final issues, including how the accord will be implemented. "I hope that by June we would have signed and completed the (final) deal," said Sayed el-Khatib, a Sudanese government negotiator. "This is the most detailed peace agreement that has probably been negotiated in the history of the world because of the problems we have had, the lack of trust and prolonged conflict." El-Khatib said the government hoped the deal with the southern rebels would help build bridges with the western insurgents. "Now the (Sudan People's Liberation Army) is going to be part of the government, that is going to encourage the rebels in Darfur to be less suspicious of the government when negotiating a settlement to the problem there," he said. "The southern rebels have had contacts with those in Darfur."Apparently it's a 70/30 split as far as representation goes. The South gets 70 percent representation in the southern provinces, the North gets 30 percent. Flip it around for representation in the northern provinces. But still there isn't a cease-fricking-fire that's worth diddly squat. Will they get one done that will actually do something to stop the fighting? I'm not holding my breath. There's too many factions on either side who are willing to act independently of what their bosses tell them, and this is particularly true on the SPLA's side. It's progress, to be sure, but it's progress that could be easily forgotten if tensions flare again, which they might if Bashir gets the notion in his head to blame part of the troubles in Darfur on the SPLA. Posted by Kathy at May 1, 2004 12:51 PM | TrackBack