23 October 2003
"Let's Not Miss This Opportunity," Powell Says of Imminent Sudan Peace
With peace, Powell looks for "a new day" in U.S. relationship with Sudan
By Susan Ellis
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- "After 30 years of the most horrible warfare, and with the loss of two million lives, now that we've come this far, let's finish it. ... Let's not miss this opportunity," Secretary of State Powell said, rallying the parties to the Sudan peace process in Nairobi, Kenya, October 21.
Powell visited the leaders who have spearheaded the peace effort, both at State House in Nairobi and at the site of the peace talks, Naivasha -- described by Kenya's Foreign Minister Kalonzo Musyoka as "our Camp David" -- and praised the parties for their "spirit of determination and seriousness."
The goal of his stop in Kenya, en route to the Iraq Donors' Conference in Madrid, was "to try to put some energy into the talks and see if I could help them get closer to a solution," Powell said.
He thanked several instrumental parties to the peace accord: chief Kenyan mediator General (Lazaro) Sumbeiywo, "who has personally been of such influence, who has shepherded this process through its highs and lows over the past 18 months"; the leaders of the IGAD states (the Intergovernmental Authority on Development), a sub-regional organization formed by seven countries of the Horn of Africa -- Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda -- which provided the forum for the talks; Sudanese Vice President Ali Taha and opposition leader Dr. John Garang, for their commitment to peace; and the Kenyan government, in the persons of President Kibaki and Foreign Minister Musyoka, for its "hospitality and unwavering support to this difficult and complex process."
Speaking October 22 at Simba Lodge in Naivasha, Powell said the final agreement "is within the grasp of the parties. Both sides are making excellent progress on wealth sharing. ... Power sharing, I think, can be dealt with in the near future."
The three "conflict areas" -- the territory of Abyei, the Nuba region, the Blue Nile region -- can also be dealt with, Powell said, adding that these are "the basket of issues that will probably take the greatest work." Those three areas are rich in natural resources and sought after by both the Muslim north and Animist-Christian south of Sudan.
Despite the difficulties, both Sudanese parties have agreed to remain in negotiations and conclude a comprehensive settlement no later than the end of December, Powell said, adding that once the final, comprehensive agreement for peace is signed, President Bush looks forward to receiving the two leaders at the White House "so he can recognize their achievement."
The president will "again commit the United States to assisting in the implementation of the agreement," Powell said, adding, "The United States will remain just as committed to that work as it has been to the process so far."
Asked by reporters about current sanctions and listings on Sudan and whether they would be dropped, Powell said "If they continue to satisfy our counter-terrorism needs and if we have a comprehensive solution, we made it clear to them that we would look at all of that. I'm not prepared at this moment to start telling you which ones might be the first to go."
He intimated that with a comprehensive peace settlement, the United States would then move to normalize relations "in the sense of having an elevated presence, a diplomatic presence in Khartoum."
"With some more movement on our counter-terrorism concerns, we would see this really opening a new day in our relationship with the Sudan," Powell said. "Once you start working your way out of the sanctions and restrictions, opportunities arise, and we are looking at ways in which we might be able to assist them with aid of one kind or another."
Asked why after decades of war, Sudan is interested in peace now, Powell cited "two million people dead; a country that wasn't functioning; an economy that was going down; the international community outraged at what had been going on; I think the willingness of the international community and the United States to engage in bringing the parties together; other countries in the region taking a more active role: Egypt, Kenya; all of the things started to come together.
"Oil wealth now is available to the country, but they really need peace and stability to exploit that wealth in sensible ways for their citizens," he said. "After a while, people start to wonder why they continue to fight when it is clear neither side will ultimately prevail, and a period of exhaustion sets in," exhaustion and a realization that a better life can be provided "by finding a solution for all of the people of the Sudan -- North and South, Christian and Muslim."
It will not be an easy path into the future, he added, saying help from the international community will be needed, and "the U.N. will have a role to play. I think there will be a need for monitors once a comprehensive agreement is reached ... we will have to stay engaged."
Kenyan Foreign Minister Musyoka offered the final tribute, praising Powell for making this visit to the peace talks in "the African way."
"You could have chosen to meet with these friends in Nairobi, but you chose to come to where they are," he said. "And, therefore, this has become our Camp David. Naivasha will then go down in history as a place where these two friends were able to plant a tree that is supposed to cure cancer. They did it jointly. And this tree will stand as testimony of their commitment to peace in their great country. And therefore we look forward, and everybody does realize, including the international community, that that peace process in the Sudan is now irreversible."
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=October&x=20031023144041silles0.3764765&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html
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