Sudan Envoy Pacifies Egypt over Sudan's Future Statehood

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, August 02, 2002

Sudan Envoy Pacifies Egypt over Sudan's Future Statehood

The visiting Sudanese presidential Ibrahim onenvoy, Information Minister Mahdi Ibrahim, Thursday in Cairo tried to pacify Egypt over Sudan's future statehood.

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The visiting Sudanese presidential Ibrahim onenvoy, Information Minister Mahdi Ibrahim, Thursday in Cairo tried to pacify Egypt over Sudan's future statehood.

"When we reach a self-determination phase, this does not necessarily mean a separation, but rather a number of several options, separation is one of them," Ibrahim told reporters after his meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher.

Ibrahim, who is here on behalf of Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir, said that "we are fully confident that people in the south will opt for unity, although they have the right to self-determination."

"A peace agreement we have concluded -- perhaps it will be completed during the next round of talks on August 12 -- is conducive to launching actions in the first preliminary six months and a sequent six-year transitional period on whatever would promote Sudan's unity," the envoy added.

Ibrahim, meanwhile, dismissed concerns about the sharing of Sudan's nile water quota with the southerners in case they obtainedindependence.

Earlier in the day, Ibrahim met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and briefed him on an agreement signed recently by the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army in Kenya.

During the meeting, Mubarak said Egypt strongly supports Sudan'sefforts to bring about stability and safeguard territorial integrity.

On July 20, the Sudanese government and the southern rebel groupSPLA signed the agreement on the separation of state and religion and the right of self-determination of southern Sudan, two key issues for ending a 19-year-old civil war in the African nation.

The agreement touches upon a six-year transitional period and a six-month preparatory period ahead of it. It also includes the country's southerners' right of self-determination through a referendum to be held in the south.

Ibrahim's remarks were believed to pacify Egypt's concerns aboutthe possible secession of Sudan's south from the country.

Mubarak's political advisor Osama al-Baz told reporters that Sudan's disintegration might lead to the disintegration of other African countries.

Since the outbreak of the civil war in 1983, the SPLA has been fighting civil war with the Sudanese government for greater autonomy of the mainly Christians and animists living in the south.

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