We believed it is important that the issue of the Nuba Mountains, which is central to the conflict in the Sudan must be raised regionally and internationally due to the Sudanese government's intransigence and its refusal to seriously discuss the issues of the three contested areas (Nuba Mountains, Southern Blue Nile and Abyei) under IGAD.

In his presentation, Suleiman focused on three main areas: 1) the conflict and the root causes, 2) the peace prospect and 3) the current IGAD peace talks in Kenya. On the issue of the conflict Suleiman emphasized that for many centuries, the Nuba and their neighbours Baggara Arab tribes had managed to live together side by side in relative peace and managed to resolve their disputes over water and land peacefully without resorting to violence. However, in recent years some of the Baggara tribes have been used by the Government against their neighbours Nuba, which led to the breakdown of the relations between the two communities and the escalation of civil war, in the region since 1985. This civil war has caused enormous suffering to the Nuba people.

Today the Nuba are central to the conflict and they hold the vital key to the solution due to the fact that The Nuba Mountain region is situated in the geographical centre of the country and the bulk of the Sudanese army is made up of the Nuba people. In addition a large number of Nuba are fighting alongside with the SPLA.

It is believed that the underlying cause to the conflict in the Sudan is religion but that is not true. Religion is one of the many factors that had contributed to fuel this long conflict (see page 14 of this issue for details) However, racial, political power and wealth domination by northern elite are considered to be the most direct factors to the conflict.

Politically, Nuba have been demanding the right to self-determination equal to that given to the people of the Southern Sudan. Their right to self-determination should be exercised immediately after the six-year interim period when the people of Southern Sudan had voted at the referendum. During the six years Transitional Period, the Nuba Mountains should be administered separately from the North and South and should be represented in the broad national government and equally share political power and wealth from the national resources.

"The program today The Sudanese War and the Nuba people" is particularly timely, given the announcement just last week of a new round of peace talks between the Government and SPLA. But still some uncertainties about the Government position. These talks are reportedly centred on the three contested areas in central Sudan (the Nuba Mountains, Southern Blue Nile and Abyei). The Sudanese war has been waged principally in Southern Sudan between the northern based Khartoum Government and the rebel Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A). But the contested areas adjacent to Southern Sudan have been devastated by the fight. Yet there is much less reaction given to the issues affecting these areas, the Nuba Mountains, Southern Blue Nile and Abyei. The issue must be resolved as part of any comprehensive and durable peace settlement.

It was the humanitarian imperative that led American Special Envoy, John Danforth to focus his initial efforts generated in 2002 securing what is known as Burgenstock Cease-fire Agreement for the Nuba

Mountains. This agreement is seen as a test to the Government willingness to seriously engage in search for a peaceful resolution of the Sudanese war. Since that time, the Sudanese peace process appears to have made some significant progress.

There are numerous issues remain unresolved. Obviously, interruption of major fighting goes along the way. One of the issues remaining unresolved is the ultimate status of the Nuba Mountains and other marginalized areas. Today’s distinguished panellists will focus on this part of the Sudanese political equation. What has the war been like since then in these contested areas? How has the Sudanese war and the peace process been seen from the vantage point of the Nuba people? What will the next round of talks produce? What will the United States and others do to sustain the momentum to encourage the resolution of the still unresolved issues?"

"I would like to put Nuba in the policy context of what we are trying to do with the Troica and then we can debate or discuss some of these ideas that Mr. Rahhal proposed during the discussion period. I think the fundamental point

he is making which we agree with which is that Nuba are central to the resolution of the conflict in Sudan. That precisely why Senator Danforth did make that one of his really the most major peace test. I think that test if I can say so and thank you for your very positive comments about Sanator Danforth. In fact, I spoke to him yesterday and told him I am going to be in this panel and he is quite excited and he said, through this mechanism to pass his regards to the Nuba people. He has been there number of times. But I do think this test sort of raised a bit of hope for the rest of the Sudan in the sense that one can start to deal with these issues and one can have cease-fire.

The process has been slow in the Nuba Mountains. There are things that by now happening that are positive. You got some development activities starting. You do have some people are returning and you have had progress in Southern Blue Nile, Abyei and Nuba Mountains. Certainly, my understanding that both sides are going to have strong representation, if not a majority of participants from these areas in the discussion coming up. We certainly encouraged SPLA to consult with, broadly with NDA and with civil societies - people who are not directly at the table. I think they are doing that. I think it is open to question to what extend the government has been doing that. But I know that Government peace negotiator Dr. Ghazi is going through the three areas on his way to Nairobi. He in fact will probably lead the delegations of the three areas to peace talks.

We have taken a lot of pains to try to understand what is going on in these three areas. I do not know if that is well understood. I have been up there. I have been to all three areas. I have been to South Blue Nile, I have been to Nuba and I have been to Abyei region. I have held meetings with hundreds and thousands of people in those areas for hours. I asked questions and listened to what they have to

say. It is important to understand the uniqueness of those areas and they are unique and you cannot simply have a formula that is Sudan wide formula that doesn’t take into account the special circumstance of these three areas. I think there is a large menu out there of peace processes that have accepted the basic principles that the objective here is to come up with settlement that encourage unity and that is a very important point. There is the option of self-determination. There is the fact the right of self-determination to the South and the option to opt for session. But Dr. Granag and all leadership in the SPLM had made it clear that the objective to the settlement should really be power sharing".

"I give you still few things on the margin. I think we have two very excellent presentations. The Nuba Mountains’ issue is currently in some stage, both in public debate in Khartoum and Rumbec now where SPLA has been meeting leadership level to determine position. I think the SPLA today will make decision about final position in this junction on the issues of the three areas. Steven, you can go back based on the presentation here and report what they are going to do. The short divisions that mark the debate indicates how hard it is going to be to get solution on these issues and sub-issues within a larger context of Sudan peace negotiations.

The main fault-line on one hand, you have the Nuba elite across the wide spectrum during, during the interim period (the transition period), as seen in Machakos Protocol and self-determination there after. On the other hand, you have Government position, that is in some evolution and devolution when you talk to, conceding only special treatment for the areas that were historically neglected.

A number of events have focused public attention in both South, some parts of the country and Nuba Mountains. The Nuba Mountains cease-fire agreement has really been instrumental and has all kind of positive secondary impacts beyond just having cease-fire in the Nuba Mountains and spark debates further that helped catalysed process in an important way.

The on-going IGAD talks themselves of course spark debate. There is confidential memo set by a number of leaders, prominent Nuba leaders to UK Special Envoy Alan Gulty, which helped to unify the position late last year. They were not agreed on referendum. I think, it is going to be one of the hard things. They have gone to great length to manipulate representation of all forms we have mentioned today and many others to co-opt the choice of the representatives of the Nuba people.

The Government is recently unleashed a very harsh campaign against Nuba leaders that have been part of these various forms, like All Nuba conference and Kampala conference organized by justice Africa. Nuba leaders speak out, another possibility of a very serious regional autonomy when people get real control of their fate and decision making’.