Sudanese hail final peace deal between gov't, southern rebels

The Sudanese government and southern rebels signed a final comprehensive peace accord in Nairobi on Sunday, cheered and hailed by thousands of Sudanese whocame along to witness the historic occasion.

This signing of the overall peace deal culminates two years of peace process to end the 21-year-old civil war in southern Sudan, the longest-running in Africa. It is also expected to act as the incentive to end the ongoing Darfur crisis in western Sudan.

"We are all very happy today, because the peace deal means no fighting and killing in southern Sudan," said Joseph Aleep, a Sudanese refugee in Kenya, adding that all of his friends in the refugee camps are willing to go back to Sudan if peace is guaranteed there.

Thousands of Sudanese, either just arrived in Kenya from Sudan or refugees living here, shouted and waved their national flags tocelebrate the moment, as First Vice President Ali Osman Taha and John Garang, leader of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), inked the deal.

Up to 10,000 people turned out at the Nyayo National Stadium inKenyan capital Nairobi in the morning, which Kenyan President MwaiKibaki called a new beginning for Sudan and for the whole Africa.

Some of them kept singing or dancing to the traditional Africanmusic, and some of them holding the slogans, reading "Peace Agreement is Step Toward Progress," "Today, the Glorious Day for Africa," "We are brothers, and Sudan is our country," among others.

This peace pact covers all the eight peace deals signed previously, including earlier agreed protocols on how to share power and natural wealth, what to do with armed forces during a six-year interim period, how to administer three disputed areas, and the latest on permanent cease-fire and modalities of implementing peace deals.

Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir said after the signing ceremony that the comprehensive accord "opens a new page and a newhorizon of opportunities for the Sudanese people," and he renewed his government's commitment to working together with the SPLM/A toensure the implementation of the peace agreement.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell signed on the protocols as one of the key witnesses, saying that the deal "opens door to the prosperity to Sudan."

"It marks the end of the Sudan war, but just the beginning of peace. Starting from today, we should have rapid negotiations to address the Darfur crisis," said Powell.

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki said in his speech shortly after the signing of the protocols "we hope today's agreement will also give momentum to the peace and stability in Darfur. We hope the whole Africa is heading to peace, stability and economic prosperity."

Many African heads of state came to witness the historic signing ceremony. Among the present are Omar el-Bashir of Sudan, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Benjamin Mkapa ofTanzania, Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria.

The Sudanese civil war broke out in 1983 when the SPLM/A took up arms fighting for self-determination in the southern part of the country. It is estimated that two decades of conflict have claimed 2 million lives, primarily from war-induced famine and disease, and displaced over 4 million others.

Source: Xinhua