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 |