NMAP Position: Letter to General Lazarus Sumbeiywo from the Alliance Parties
General
Lazarus Sumbeiywo
IGAD
Secretariat
IGAD
Nairobi
Kenya
Date
5th August 2002
Dear
General L Sumbeiywo,
We
the undersigned Nuba Mountains Alliance Parties would like to express our
wholehearted support for the Machakos Agreement, which is an important step
towards solving the Sudanese problems. Although the Alliance did not take part
in the negotiations, it will do its best to push that agreement ahead to achieve
a comprehensive peace settlement for our country.
However,
we in the alliance are extremely concerned about the Nuba Mountains future
because the issue of the Nuba Mountains as well as the marginalised areas in
northern Sudan were not mentioned in the agreement.
One
of our concerns is that the agreement speaks only about North
and South with no reference at all to
the Nuba Mountains as if Nuba Mountains is part and parcel of either South or
North.
We
in the Alliance and on behalf of the Nuba people of Sudan would like to bring to
your attention that the Nuba Mountains boarders of 1925 Provinces Act, clearly
indicate that the Nuba Mountains is a separate region which has its own entity.
Therefore, it is important to bear this fact in mind at your next negotiations
in Nairobi. The Nuba position can be summarised as follows:
During
the Transitional Period Nuba Mountains region should be administered
separately from the north and the south and it should be under the
supervision of international bodies.
(i). To be one of the separate regions in a united secular democratic Sudan. However, if the people of Southern Sudan decided to opt for an independent state, the Nuba should also have the right of a referendum to choose one from the following options:
(ii). To choose to join Southern Sudan state but with certain guarantees
(iii). To choose to join Northern Sudan state but with certain guarantees
(iv)
To choose to become an independent nation state in the same way of the
south
Finally, we trust that the Nuba issue will receive your immediate attention and will be discussed in the next IGAD peace talks, which is scheduled for 12th August 2002.
Yours
sincerely,
Signed
by The Alliance Parties:
Nuba
Mountains General Union
Sudan
National Party
The
Free Sudan National Party
cc
GOS
cc
SPLA
cc
John Danforth
cc
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