UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
SUDAN: IRIN News Briefs [19991027]

SUDAN: IRIN News Briefs [19991027]

SUDAN: IRIN News Briefs, Wednesday 27 October

CONTENTS:

US upholds IGAD initiative US to provide humanitarian assistance in south Khartoum welcomes US mediation Opposition reiterates support for Egypt-Libya initiative Pibor population faces evacuation

US upholds IGAD initiative

US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said on Friday her government only recognised the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) peace initiative regarding the Sudan issue, Kenyan radio reported. In her discussions with Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi, during a visit to Nairobi, she assured him of her government's support, saying the US would fund "half of the expenses of IGAD new peace process secretariat over the next six months". Albright was on a tour of several African countries.

US to provide humanitarian assistance in south

The US government has also agreed to provide humanitarian assistance to war victims in south Sudan, rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army leader John Garang told journalists in Nairobi on Saturday after meeting Albright. The Kenya Television Network (KTN) quoted Garang as saying the aid would be channelled through civil society and not the "various political factions". He reiterated that IGAD would remain the "prime mover of peace" in Sudan. "We believe that the IGAD peace process is a serious one. It goes directly to the heart of the problem," he said. "Any other peace initiatives are welcome and should be supportive of the IGAD peace process rather than competitive or parallel to it."

Khartoum welcomes US mediation

The Sudan government said on Sunday it would welcome US mediation between it and SPLA leader John Garang "if this would help to bring about peace in the country". The Egyptian news agency MENA quoted Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Uthman Ismail as saying his country would accept these efforts if "this represents a new trend in the efforts to establish peace in Sudan", despite US "antagonism" to the Sudanese government. Ismail, who was in Cairo for talks with his Eygptian counterpart, also stressed that the Libyan-Egyptian peace initiative for Sudan "is not a substitute" for the IGAD initiative. He said his country was eager for the two initiatives to be seen as "complementary" and "eventually integrated".

Opposition reiterates support for Egyptian-Libyan initiative

The opposition umbrella body, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), last week underlined its commitment to the Egyptian-Libyan initiative and to integrating it with the IGAD initiative, the Egyptian news agency MENA said. In a statement released after its three-day meeting in Cairo, the NDA stressed the Egyptian-Libyan initiative was "comprehensive and comprises all parties to the conflict in Sudan". The statement called on the government to take the "necessary measures to start a dialogue".

Pibor population faces evacuation

People living in Sudan's southeastern Pibor area are facing evacuation after floods submerged most of the area, news organisations reported. The area's commissioner Ismail Konyi was quoted by the 'Al-Anbaa' newspaper as saying these were the worst floods in the area since 1964. He said schools, hospitals, cattle and wildlife had been swept away and the flooding had brought the transport system to a halt. He said he was preparing for the evacuations and appealed for emergency assistance from the relevant agencies.

[ENDS]

[ Feedback: irin@ocha.unon.org UN IRIN-CEA Tel: +254 2 622123 Fax: +254 2 622129 ]

Item: irin-english-1859

[This item is delivered in the "irin-english" service of the UN's IRIN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or to change your keywords, contact e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org or Web: http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer.]

Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 1999

Subscriber: afriweb@sas.upenn.edu Keyword: IRIN

Editor: Dr. Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D

Previous Menu Home Page What's New Search Country Specific