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)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America
    
    


Conflict HomePage