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Sudanese government, rebels hammer out peace framework
The Sudanese government and southern rebels have agreed on how to resolve the major issues in Africa's longest-running civil war and reached a framework Saturday for talks next month to draft a final peace deal. Toldja they were serious about trying to work something out... Ghazi Salah Eddin Attabani, the government's peace adviser, and Samson Kwaje, spokesman for the rebel Sudanese People's Liberation Army, said they have reached agreement on the separation of state and religion as well as self-determination for the southern Sudanese. "Separation of state and religion," is it? What an original idea. Actually, I'm flabbergasted that a Muslim state would agree to such a thing. But there is all that oil, which could produce all that money, so maybe somebody's get his priorities in order... Both men said the remaining issues will be relatively easy to resolve when the parties meet again next month. Then all they have to do is adhere to the agreement. Both sides have had problems with that idea... Samson Kwaje, spokesman for the rebel Sudanese People's Liberation Army, said that "the most critical issues have been solved," including the government's attempts to impose Islamic law, known as sharia, on southerners, who mostly follow traditional religions and Christianity. The Sudanese constitution would be rewritten to ensure that sharia law can be used in the north, but will not infringe on the rights of non-Muslims in the south. The Muslims are gonna hate it that they can't cut infidels' heads off, though. They're just gonna hate it. Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2002-07-21 |
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