Nuba Civil Society
Inter-Group in Diaspora
H.E Lt. Gen. Lazaro Sumbeiywo
IGAD Secretariat on Peace in Sudan
IGAD
Nairobi
Kenya
Date 10th August 2003
Dear
H.E Gen. Lazaro Sumbeiywo
We
the undersigned on behalf of Nuba Civil Societies in Diaspora would like to
express our gratitude to your Excellency, the Government of Kenya and the
Mediators for the immense efforts you have made towards ending the long war and
bringing a just and lasting peace for Sudan. We have previously written to
your Excellency expressing our concern for the Nubas’ political future and
what the Nuba people want from the IGAD mediators and troika. We would
still like to reiterate the same demands.
Having read carefully your Draft Framework for the resolution of the Three
Conflict Areas and Draft Framework for Resolution of outstanding issues arising
out of the elaboration of the Machakos Protocol we decided to give our views on
this and to draw your attention the following important points on the resolution
of the Nuba Mountains issue. These are:
1.
We believe that the Draft Framework you presented to the Parties is logical and
is a good basis for discussions to resolve the core outstanding issues, which
the Parties should accept and show their sincerity and commitment for achieving
peace in Sudan.
2. The Nuba Mountains is a historical name for the region and should
remain as the "Nuba Mountains Region", as defined in the 1956
Provincial Act. During the British Rule in Sudan the Region was a Closed
District Administration and it includes Lagawa province, Sunod, Jibal al-Dair
and other areas which were recently annexed by the present government and given
to the newly established Western Kordofan state and parts to the Northern
Kordofan.
3.
The Draft Framework for resolution of the Three Conflict Areas
gave the people of Abyei the right to self-determination to choose to be
either part of Bahr el-Ghazal or to be part of Western Kordofan. But it did not
give that right to the people of the Nuba Mountains and Southern Blue Nile, and
instead the Draft Framework refers to the other two contested central regions as
part of the Northern state, which can not be acceptable. We would like to draw
your attention to the fact that Abyei area historically and geographically is
part of the Nuba Mountains Region which was until recently used to be
administered from Kadugli, the principal town in the Nuba Mountains. Today,
there are a substantial number of Nuba citizens living in Abyei and we would
like to see that their rights are taken into account.
4. The people of Nuba Mountains Region have an irrefutable claim to
self-determination, which they have been demanding for more than six years,
therefore the Parties should respect this fundamental right. Despite the fact
that most Nuba are staunch unionists and their best interest is in a secular,
democratic united Sudan which award them considerable regional autonomy, yet
they are entitled to exercise their right to self-determination at the end of
the interim period should the country be divided into two independent states -
North and South (this of course if the people of the South opt for secession).
This right of self-determination refers to the right of the Nuba to choose
freely and democratically from the three options open to them:
A. Join a northern
state with guarantees of self-rule for the Nuba;
B. Join a southern state with the same guarantees;
C.
Become an independent state
5.
The Draft Framework Resolution pointed to self-governing rule for the Nuba
Mountains and that the Region should have its own legislature and state Council.
But, it surrendered the power of selection of the governor to the President. We
demand that the Governor for the Nuba Mountains should be elected freely by the
Legislative Council without interference by the President or any other body to
represent the people of the Nuba Mountains.
6.
Election and referendum in the Nuba Mountains region should be under the
supervision of an Independent Commission and monitored by international bodies
including observers form IGAD and UN. All Nuba people and other Sudanese
citizens resident in the Nuba Mountains Region before 30th June 1989 will be
regarded as residents of the Nuba Mountains Region and have the
right to vote. All Nuba people currently outside Nuba Mountains will be entitled
to return to the region or if absent to register and vote in the election and
referendum.
7.
Clause 2.1.4 entitles the Nuba Mountains Region to a fair and equitable share of
national revenue. Since the Nuba Mountains Region has suffered enormously from
the effect of long civil war, we demand that their share of the national revenue
should be substantial and to be allocated separately from the South and the North
budget.
8.
Clause 2.1.5 it will be entitled to a proportionate share from the total
allocation to the North. We demand that Nuba allocation of power sharing should
be completely separate. It should not be part of the allocated share of either
North or South and the Ministerial posts allocated for the Nuba Mountains should
clearly be defined.
9.
The economy and natural resources that are found in the Nuba Mountains Region or
in adjacent areas, particularly oil, which is now passing through vast areas of
the Region should be considered part of Nuba Mountains natural resources.
Therefore, the Region should have a say in these resources. We demand that
the Nuba Mountain Region should be one of the permanent members of the Petroleum
Commission.
10.
The Draft Framework did not refer to creation of a central bank for the Nuba
Mountains Region. It is important that the region should have its own central
bank as proposed for the South and to be run on similar conditions.
11.
Since the land is one of the main issues that has contributed to this long civil
war of Sudan, we demand that Nuba Mountains Region should have Land Commissioner
with a strong power to set land polices and investigate and make recommendations
on:
a)
the incorporation of customary land law into land statutes;
b) review
of post-1989 rural land registrations with a view to identify which are
legitimate and which are not.
c) the
redistribution of land seized illegitimately during the post- 1989
d) a policy on
pastoral land rights; and
e) gender
equality in land rights.
12.
Clause 2.8 the state may draft its own state constitution, subject to its
compliance with the Interim National constitution. Because of the special
characteristic of Nuba Mountains Region in terms of religious tolerance that has
existed for many centuries, the Nuba would adopt a liberal constitution which
means our constitution will be secular constitution, similar to that to be
implemented in the South state.
Finally,
we would like you to consider our views on the Draft framework and to be
included in your final peace agreement. We wish you every success in your
endeavour to bring a just and last peace for Sudan.
Yours truly
Signed by
Name of Organisation
Signed
by
Nuba Survival Foundation - UK
Suleiman
Musa Rahhal
Nuba Mountains Solidarity Abroad Magoub
Tawer
Nuba Mountains International Develop.
and Rehabilitation Fund -USA
El-Sir
T. Abu-Ras
Cc US Special Envoy for Peace - Senator Danforth
Cc British Special Envoy for Peace - Alan Goulty
Cc Norwegian Special Envoy for Peace - Kjell Hodnebo
Cc Norwegian Government - Hilde Johnson
Cc Italian Government - Silvio BerLucsconi
Cc Swiss Government-Josef Bucher
Cc Sudan Government- Ghazi Salah el-Dein Atabani
Cc SPLA - Silva Kiir