Military

DATE= 8/12/2002

TYPE= CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-292968

TITLE= SUDAN TALKS (L ALTERNATE)

BYLINE= KATY SALMON

DATELINE= NAIROBI

///THIS MAY BE USED AS AN ALTERNATE FOR THE LAMOTTE CE 2-292966 SUDAN/PEACE TALKS ///

INTRO: The government of Sudan and southern rebels have resumed talks aimed at ending 19 years of civil war. Katy Salmon looks at some of the issues on the negotiating table.

TEXT: Over the next five weeks, the government of Sudan and rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Army will try to hammer out their differences and bring an end to a conflict that has already killed as many as two million people.

The two sides hope to build on last month's successful signing of the Machakos Protocol, named after the Kenyan town in which they are meeting.

In that agreement, Sudan's government agreed to hold a referendum on self-determination in the south after a six-year interim period. It also promised not to impose Islamic Sharia law on the largely Christian and animist south.

Autonomy and religious freedom are two of the main reasons that the S-P-L-A took up arms against the government in 1983.

John Prendergast of the International Crisis Group, a private advocacy organization, believes one of the most contentious issues in this round of talks is what to do with the two armies during the six year interim period.

The S-P-L-A wants all government forces removed from the south.

Mr. Prendergast says this will be hard for the government to agree to.

///PRENDERGAST ACT///

This is something that, of course, at the outset of the talks will be completely unacceptable to the government as it will fear that if it withdraws its troops that this will become de facto secession. But, as a confidence building measure to promote unity through the interim period, to have government forces stay in the south, even if they are cantoned and even if they are disarmed, will be a source of continued

humiliation and a reminder of the decades of domination of the south. So I think it's going to be a real difficult line that is going to have to be walked.

///END ACT///

Also on the agenda are the sharing of wealth and power. Both the government of Sudan and the rebels are keen to win control over Sudan's new found oil wealth.

Mr. Prendergast is confident they will be able to come to an agreement on the sharing of resources.

///2ND PRENDERGAST ACT///

This wealth and oil issue is a relatively recent phenomenon and it's one that in comparison to some of the other issues, both parties think that with some significant discussion they can come to a formula that will be acceptable to both sides. The question of religion and the state, and the question of self-determination and the question of the internal security arrangements are going to be far more difficult to

finalize than simply finding a formula and finding the appropriate language that can window-dress whatever compromise is reached.

/// END ACT ///

The other main item on the agenda is a cease-fire. The government wants to stop fighting immediately while the S-P-L-A insist that there cannot be a cease-fire until all other issues are settled. (Signed)

NEB/LDJ/KBK