Sudan reaffirms commitment to implementation of CPA

Sudan's unity government has reaffirmed its commitment to the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005 that ended Africa's longest civil war.

At a meeting with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki on the sidelines of the African Union Peace and Security Council Summit in Abuja, Nigeria, Sudan's Second Vice President Osman Twaha briefed Kibaki on the implementation of the CPA.

According to a statement issued on Friday in Nairobi, Twaha said the Sudanese government will ensure that there is no security lapse and that the parties concerned will adhere to the terms and conditions of the CPA. None of the parties involved will walk out of the process, Twaha reiterated.

"On his part, President Kibaki encouraged the Sudanese leaders to continue with the implementation of the process saying as a signatory and one of the architects of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Kenya will ensure its success," the statement said.

The meeting came after Kenya called on the parties to fully implement the landmark peace accord, saying it will greatly boost efforts aimed at resolving the Darfur peace process.

President Kibaki told the special African Union Peace and Security Council Summit on Thursday that success of the landmark peace accord would send a positive and re-assuring message of peace and stability in the Sudan.

Kibaki, whose country hosted the protracted peace talks culminating in the CPA, told the summit being attended by several African heads of state that without the actualization of the peace deal, the Darfur peace process would be compromised.

The Abuja summit is discussing and considering a report by the African Union High Level Panel on Darfur. While commending the parties to the CPA for the progress made so far in its implementation, the president underscored the need to deal with the challenges lying ahead.

These challenges, noted the president, include "the question of how Darfur can and should participate in National Elections and the threat to boycott next year's general elections in Sudan by the opposition."

Source: Xinhua