Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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Sudanâs Neighbors to Help Resolve CPA Challenges

   Peter Clottey 19 December 2010
   Sudanese  President  Omar  al-Beshir (R) walks with Sudan's First Vice
   President  and  south  Sudan  leader  Salva  Kiir  at  the  airport in
   Khartoum, as he prepares to leave for Chad, 21 Jul 2010

Photo: AFP

   Sudanese  President  Omar  al-Beshir (R) walks with Sudan's First Vice
   President  and  south  Sudan  leader  Salva  Kiir  at  the  airport in
   Khartoum, as he prepares to leave for Chad, 21 Jul 2010

   A  leading member of Sudanâs ruling National Congress Party (NCP) said
   leaders  in  the  neighboring countries will soon meet to help resolve
   all   outstanding   issues  involving  the  2005  Comprehensive  Peace
   Agreement (CPA), ahead of next monthâs referendum.

   Rabie  Abdelati Obeid told VOA leaders of countries that share borders
   with Sudan have expressed concern that the outcome of the 9^th January
   referendum could have negative consequences, not only on Sudanese, but
   also on their peoples.

   âThis  is to pave the way and to shorten the differences between (the)
   SPLM  (Sudan Peopleâs Liberation Movement) and NCP, and guarantee that
   the  coming  period will be peaceful, and to achieve the goals and the
   objectives of the CPA signed in the year 2005.â

   Libyan  leader  Muammar  Gaddafi,  Egyptian  President  Hosni Mubarak,
   Sudanese  leader  Omar  Hassan al-Bashir, as well as southern Sudanese
   leader  Salva Kiir, are expected to meet soon to resolve âtensions and
   controversiesâ surrounding full implementation of the CPA.

Obeid

   Dr.  Rabie  Abdelati  Obeid  is a prominent member of Sudan's dominant
   National Congress Party (NCP)

   âThe  Egyptian leader and the Libyan president feel that the future of
   Sudan  will  be  in danger and they are afraid that the results of the
   referendum  will  create  a  lot of difficulties for Sudan and for the
   neighboring  countries as well. That is why I think this initiative is
   very  important  because  I  think  what will affect Sudan will affect
   southern Sudan and affect Libya, as well as Egypt,â said Obeid.

   Both  the SPLM and the dominant NCP have traded accusations about what
   they  described  as  gross violations of the 2005 agreement that ended
   the countryâs two decades of civil war.

   Obeid  said,  despite  accusations,  the  NCP is committed to the full
   implementation of the CPA.

   âThe commitment of the NCP is still as it is that the NCP will work up
   to  the  last moment for achieving unity. Even the presidents of Egypt
   and  Libya, both of them believe in the benefit and the good output of
   unity,  because,  if  we compare between unity and secession actually,
   the negative effect of secession are too much as compared to unity.â

   Meanwhile,  Sudan's  president says the country will adopt an entirely
   Islamic  constitution if the south splits away after a referendum next
   month.
   In  a  speech  Sunday, President Bashir said that, if the south breaks
   away,  his  government  will  change the constitution and that, in his
   words,  there will be no question of cultural or ethnic diversity. He
   said  Sharia,  or  Islamic  law,  will  be  the  main  source  for the
   constitution and that Arabic will be the official language.
   Sudan's interim 2005 constitution implemented Sharia in the north, but
   also recognized the âcultural and social diversity of Sudanese.â

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