Sudan Has no Guarantee Against Separation of South: President

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, August 18, 2002

Sudan Has no Guarantee Against Separation of South: President

Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir has said his government does not guarantee that the separation of southern Sudan would not occur, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported on Saturday.

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Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir has said his government does not guarantee that the separation of southern Sudan would not occur, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported on Saturday.

"Sudan's unity can not be imposed after years of war, and Egypt's fears concerning the possible secession of southern Sudan have justifications," Bashir told the Sudanese press, according to MENA.

Egypt is wary of a recently inked deal between the Sudanese government and the southern rebel group, fearing that it might lead to the separation of Sudan, a matter which it claims will undermine Egypt's security due to the possible sharing of the water resources of the Nile.

On July 20, the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army signed an agreement on the separation of the state and religion and the right of self-determination of southern Sudan,two key issues for ending a 19-year-old civil war in Sudan.

The agreement touches upon a six-year transitional period, following which a referendum will be held on whether the south wishes to secede from the Sudan.

The Sudanese Islamic government forces have been fighting with the southern rebel, which has been struggling for greater autonomy for the predominantly Christian and animist south since 1983.

In early August, Sudanese Information Minister Mahdi Ibrahim, Bashir's special envoy, visited Cairo to try 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 said.

"We are fully confident that people in the south will opt for unity, although they have the right to self-determination," he added.

Egypt has voiced strong support for Sudan's unity, warning that Sudan's disintegration might lead to the disintegration of other African countries.

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