Press Release/Commentary by DUP, SPLM, UP posted on May 26, 2003 at 13:54:05: EST (-5 GMT)

Sudanese Opposition Cairo Declaration

Cairo
24 May 2003

The leaders of the Democratic Unionist Party, (DUP), The Umma Party and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM), have met in Egypt, a land whose people have shared with us history, destiny and geography since the dawn of history. This meeting comes at a time when our country is passing through a delicate and important phase of its contemporary history.

The leaders discussed the current political situation, the profound political crisis the Sudan is undergoing and the rare opportunity for the achievement of peace; an opportunity emanating from the Machakos Protocol of July Last year. This is a Protocol that has tremendous internal, regional and international backing.
The consultations and meetings held by the leaders lasted through Friday and Saturday, 23 and 24 respectively and culminated in the following:

1. SUPPORT FOR A JUST AND COMPREHENSIVE PEACE PROCESS AND THE NECESSITY FOR NATIONAL CONSENSUS

Taking into consideration the great experiences and lessons learnt by our people during January 1956, October 1964, April 1985 and the March 1972 Addis Ababa Accord, a just and lasting peace, genuine and sustainable democracy, can not be achieved except in the context of a national consensus among all the political forces as well as among the masses of our people in the South, North, East, West and the Centre. Therefore the three leaders shall exert all efforts possible to support the ongoing (IGAD) negotiations and seek to achieve national consensus through the participation in and the support for any coming peace agreement, by all the political forces.

2. THE MACHAKOS DECLARATION AND THE COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT

The three leaders agree that the Machakos Protocol contains many elements, which if well addressed, could open up opportunities for building national consensus and effecting a transition to a genuine democratic transformation. In this respect they affirm the following:

(a) The formation of a broad-based Government and the participation at both the Centre and the Region, of the political forces at all levels of governance including at the very lowest level.

(b) That the participation of all the political forces and civil society organizations in drafting the Interim Constitution leads to true democratic transformation.

(c) That the work of the Commissions for the civil service and the judiciary as stipulated in the Machakos Protocol and indeed the work of any other Commissions, should lead to the transformation of the current one-party state into one that belongs to all the nation.

(d) That internationally monitored general elections are held by an independent National Electoral Commission.

3. UNITY OF SUDAN ON A NEW BASIS.

The leaders affirm that a peaceful settlement and a final agreement represent a rare historic opportunity for the masses of our people to preserve their unity on new and attractive basis as provided for in the Machakos Protocol. In this respect, it is to be mentioned that the three leaders had in the past, reached agreement on the Fundamental Issues, key among which are; the System of Rule, Self-determination and theRrelationship between State and Religion. These issues were addressed by the Nairobi Declaration of 1993 and the Asmara Resolutions of 1995, in a manner that allows the preservation of Sudan’s unity through guaranteeing equality for all with respect to constitutional rights and duties. Accordingly, they deem that an agreement on a Capital city, which is National and that treats all religions and beliefs as equal, is an indispensable necessity for the preservation of our country’s unity on a new basis. They furthermore affirm their adherence to all the accords they have signed; foremost among these being the Asmara Resolutions on the Fundamental Issues, which provide ample opportunity for our country’s unity on a new basis both for the present as well as the future.

4. JOINT ACTION.

The leaders have agreed to a process of co-ordination and consultations between the Umma Party and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which includes the SPLM and the (DUP) on one hand and to the same process between the two and the rest of the Sudanese Political Forces on the other.
The three leaders wish to express the sentiment that the efforts of the Sudanese people to forge a national consensus in addition to the popular, regional and international support these endeavors enjoy, will lead to the fulfillment of our people’s hopes for a just peace and real democratic transformation.

Sayed Mohamed Osman Al Mirghani
Leader of the Democratic Unionist

Dr. John Garang De Mabior
Chairman of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM)

Sayed Sadiq Al Mahdi
Leader of the Umma Party