Sudan: UN envoy warns of challenges in implementation of peace accord

The top United Nations envoy to Sudan has warned that although much progress has been made in healing the strife-torn country’s divides, difficulties remain, ahead of a meeting in the United States on the issue.

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Ashraf Qazi, said that many challenges face the signatories to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended a 21-year civil war between north and south Sudan.

Mr. Qazi, who also heads the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), was speaking after a meeting on Wednesday with the President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) and the First Vice-President of Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit.

“I had a very good meeting with the President and this is an important time because we all are preparing for the conference that will take place in Washington later this month,” said Mr. Qazi during his one-day visit to Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan.

“The United States has taken the initiative to act in concert with the international community to help both signatories implement the CPA on schedule because the CPA time period will be completed in 2011,” he added.

In the meeting, Mr. Qazi discussed the security situation in the south, elections, the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programme for ex-combatants, and the preparations for the 2011 referendum on whether the South should secede or remain united with the rest of the country.

The President expressed appreciation for the role of UNMIS, which recently dispatched some 120 civilian, military and police personnel to Jonglei State, where thousands were taking refuge after inter-tribal violence left hundreds dead, including many women and children.