DATE=5/13/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-249336
TITLE=SUDAN / EL-MAHDI (L-ONLY)
BYLINE = ELIZABETH BRYANT
DATELINE= CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: ONE OF SUDAN'S MAIN POLITICAL OPPOSITION FIGURES SAYS THE
SUDANESE GOVERNMENT HAS AGREED TO A MEETING WITH ALL THE
OPPOSITION PARTIES -- ONE THAT COULD BE HELD AS EARLY AS NEXT
MONTH. LISA BRYANT REPORTS FROM CAIRO THE MEETING HAS RECEIVED
QUALIFIED ENDORSEMENT FROM SOME OF SUDAN'S OTHER OPPOSITION
PARTIES.
TEXT: FORMER SUDANESE PRIME MINISTER SADIQ EL-MAHDI SAYS THE
PROPOSED MEETING IS TO BE BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND MEMBERS OF
THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE (N-D-A), A LOOSE COALITION OF
OPPOSITION PARTIES. THE PURPOSE, HE SAID, IS TO DRAFT A PLAN TO
ACHIEVE A COMPREHENSIVE PEACE IN SUDAN.
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH VOA, MR. EL-MAHDI SAID IF THE MEETING TAKES
PLACE -- LIKELY IN A THIRD COUNTRY -- IT WILL BE THE FIRST TIME
ALL OF SUDAN'S MAJOR OPPOSITION PARTIES MEET FACE TO FACE SINCE
THE GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT OMAR EL-BASHIR TOOK POWER IN A 1989
COUP.
THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN HOLDING SEPARATE, BILATERAL
PEACE TALKS WITH THE SUDAN PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY, OR S-P-L-A,
WHICH IS FIGHTING FOR AUTONOMY IN THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY. BUT
THE LATEST ROUND OF PEACE TALKS WAS POSTPONED LAST MONTH.
MR. EL-MAHDI ALSO DENIED REPORTS IN THE SUDANESE PRESS THAT HE
WOULD BE RETURNING TO SUDAN IN THE NEAR FUTURE. HIS RETURN, HE
SAID, WAS CONDITIONED ON REACHING A POLITICAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN
THE GOVERNMENT AND ALL THE N-D-A OPPOSITION GROUPS.
MR. EL-MAHDI SAID THE PLANNED MEETING BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND
OPPOSITION WAS AGREED DURING TALKS IN GENEVA LAST WEEK WITH
SUDANESE POWER BROKER (NEGOTIATOR) HASSAN EL-TURABI, WHO IS ALSO
MR. EL-MAHDI'S BROTHER-IN-LAW.
THE AGREEMENT COMES AS THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT IS IN CONTACT WITH
OTHER OPPOSITION FIGURES. MOST RECENTLY, SUDANESE OFFICIALS SAID
THEY WOULD OFFER AN OFFICIAL WELCOME TO FORMER PRESIDENT JAFAAR
NIMEIRI, WHO SAYS HE WILL RETURN TO SUDAN THIS MONTH AFTER 14
YEARS IN EXILE.
//OPT// AND SUDAN'S FIRST VICE PRESIDENT, ALI OSMAN TAHA, IS
REPORTEDLY DUE TO MEET WITH N-D-A HEAD MOHAMMAD AL-MIRGHANI IN
THE NEAR FUTURE. //END OPT//
IN A STATEMENT, THE N-D-A SAID IT SUPPORTED THE MEETING BETWEEN
MR. EL-MAHDI AND MR. EL-TURABI, BUT STRESSED THAT ANY ACCORDS
WITH THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT MUST INCLUDE ALL OPPOSITION MEMBERS.
MR. EL-MAHDI HAS REPORTEDLY BRIEFED MR. EL-MIRGANI ABOUT THE
EL-TURABI TALKS. BUT ANOTHER N-D-A MEMBER, ABDON AGAW NHIAL, SAID
MANY OF THE SMALLER OPPOSITION PARTIES WERE UPSET WITH MR.
EL-MAHDI'S PERCEIVED "GO-IT-ALONE" ATTITUDE. MR. NHIAL, WHO IS A
MEMBER OF THE UNION OF AFRICAN PARTIES, SAID SMALLER GROUPS HAD
NOT BEEN BRIEFED ABOUT THE EL-TURABI MEETING.
///REST OPT.///
THE HEAD OF AFRICAN STUDIES AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO,
CYRUS REED, CAUTIONS THAT THE PROPOSED TALKS WOULD NEED CAREFUL
PLANNING, IF THEY WERE TO SUCCEED. OPPOSITION MEMBERS DON'T
TRUST THE GOVERNMENT, SAYS MR. REED, AND THE SUDANESE CIVIL WAR
IS A COMPLICATED AFFAIR.
MR. REED SAYS MEMBERS OF THE N-D-A MAY ALSO FEAR THAT MR.
EL-MAHDI -- WHO WAS TWICE SUDAN'S PRIME MINISTER -- IS TRYING TO
CARVE OUT HIS OWN SEPARATE PEACE ACCORD WITH THE SUDANESE
GOVERNMENT. IF HE DID SO, SAYS MR. REED, IT WOULD BE A
DISASTROUS MISTAKE AND WOULD NOT BRING PEACE TO SUDAN.
BUT MR. EL-MAHDI SAID HE HAD NO INTENTION OF FORGING A SEPARATE
PEACE WITH THE GOVERNMENT. HE SAID HE DOUBTED WHETHER THERE WOULD
BE ANY OPPOSITION BY MEMBERS OF THE N-D-A TO PLANNED TALKS WITH
THE GOVERNMENT. (SIGNED)
NEB/EB/SB/PCF
13-May-99 1:18 PM EDT (1718 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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