DATE=8/4/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-236497
TITLE=SUDAN TALKS (L)
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=ADDIS ABABA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  SUDANESE PEACE TALKS HAVE OPENED IN THE ETHIOPIAN CAPITAL
OF ADDIS ABABA.  V-O-A'S SCOTT STEARNS IS AT THE TALKS AND 
REPORTS SUDAN'S GOVERNMENT AND THE MAIN REBEL GROUP ARE 
DISCUSSING A REFERENDUM ON POLITICAL SELF DETERMINATION.

TEXT:  BOTH SIDES HAVE AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO THE REFERENDUM FOR 
SOUTHERN SUDAN.  THE PROBLEM IS WHO WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR SUCH A 
VOTE?  

SUDAN'S GOVERNMENT WANTS ONLY PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN WHAT ARE 
TRADITIONALLY CONSIDERED SOUTHERN PROVINCES.  REBELS WANT THAT 
EXPANDED TO INCLUDE VOTERS IN SOUTHERN KORDOFAN, SOUTHERN BLUE 
NILE AND THE EASTERN NUBA MOUNTAINS.

PEOPLE IN THOSE AREAS HAVE BEEN FIGHTING ALONGSIDE REBELS FOR 
YEARS.  THEY SAY THE MUSLIM GOVERNMENT IN KHARTOUM DOES NOT LET 
THEM WORSHIP FREELY -- MANY ARE CHRISTIAN AND TRADITIONAL 
BELIEVERS.

THE GOVERNMENT SAYS ITS NEW CONSTITUTION GUARANTEES EVERYONE'S 
RIGHT TO WORSHIP, BUT AS MANY SUDANESE OBSERVE ISLAMIC SHARIA 
LAW, THE GOVERNMENT SAYS MUSLIM LEGAL TRADITIONS CAN NOT BE 
IGNORED.

THIS WEEK'S TALKS ARE SPONSORED BY EAST AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS 
TRYING TO END 15-YEARS OF FIGHTING IN SOUTHERN SUDAN.  DIPLOMATS 
FROM KENYA, UGANDA, DJIBOUTI, ETHIOPIA, AND ERITREA ARE MEETING 
WITH SUDAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER AND A DELEGATION FROM THE MAIN 
REBEL SUDAN PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY.

ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY SECRETARY-GENERAL, SALIM AHMED 
SALIM, SAYS IT IS TIME TO END SUDAN'S WAR.

                        /// SALIM ACT ///

         THE CONFLICT IN SOUTHERN SUDAN HAS GONE ON FOR TOO LONG.
         WE MUST SPEAK OUT AND ACT MORE FORCEFULLY AGAINST ITS 
         CONTINUATION BECAUSE THE TRAGEDY IT HAS LEFT IN ITS 
         TRAIL HAS BEEN CATASTROPHIC FOR THE SUDANESE THEMSELVES,
         FOR THE REGION, AND THE ENTIRE CONTINENT. 

                         /// END ACT ///

// OPT //  MR. SALIM SAYS SUDAN'S CIVIL WAR STIGMATIZES ALL OF 
AFRICA AS THE OUTSIDE WORLD SEES ONLY A PEOPLE TOO BUSY FIGHTING 
TO FEED THEMSELVES.

                    /// SECOND SALIM ACT ///

         THE IMAGES OF SUFFERING AND STARVING CHILDREN, WOMEN AND
         THE ELDERLY THAT ARE FLASHED AROUND THE WORLD BY THE 
         INTERNATIONAL MEDIA IS AN INDICTMENT ON ALL OF US AND 
         OUR COLLECTIVE HUMANITY. 

                    /// END ACT // END OPT//

MR. SALIM WELCOMED THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO EXTEND A 
CEASEFIRE THROUGHOUT ALL SOUTHERN SUDAN.  BOTH SIDES HAVE BEEN 
OBSERVING A LIMITED TRUCE DURING THE PAST TWO WEEKS TO MAKE IT 
EASIER FOR AID WORKERS TO HELP PEOPLE THREATENED BY DROUGHT AND 
FAMINE.

RELIEF OFFICIALS SAY MORE THAN ONE-MILLION PEOPLE ARE SHORT OF 
FOOD IN SOUTHERN SUDAN.  THE AID EFFORT HAS BECOME THE BIGGEST 
HUMANITARIAN AIRLIFT IN HISTORY.   (SIGNED)

NEB/SKS/PCF/RAE

04-Aug-98 11:17 AM EDT (1517 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America