Following is the text of a joint statement by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Miliband on the fifth anniversary of the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
Saturday, January 9, 2010, marks the fifth anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended Africa's longest-running civil war. We congratulate the people of Sudan on their achievement in maintaining the CPA through many challenges and for continuing to pursue its vision of democratic transformation and a peaceful future for all of Sudan. With one year left until the referendum on self-determination for Southern Sudan, all sides must intensify efforts to implement the remaining provisions to keep the CPA on track.
We call on all parties in Sudan to rise to the challenge with political will and vision. There is much to be done. Dialogue, cooperation, and political leadership are vital, but time is short.
We welcome the progress made by political leaders in Sudan in addressing critical and complex challenges over arrangements for the 2011 referendum on self-determination, the Abyei referendum, and popular consultations in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan. The recent passing of legislation governing these processes is encouraging. The peaceful and orderly undertaking of these events is crucial to implementation of the CPA.
Many other major challenges remain in the year ahead, including elections in April and demarcation of the Abyei Area boundary and the North/South border. April’s elections will provide the first opportunity for many Sudanese to participate in national elections. The conduct of credible elections is vital to the process of democratic transformation, a cornerstone of the CPA. The parties must also begin discussions and negotiations on long-term issues that will arise irrespective of the referendum outcome—oil revenue-sharing, security arrangements, citizenship issues and many others. Agreement on equitable post-2011 arrangements is necessary to ensure lasting peace and regional stability.
Peace and security across all of Sudan is essential to ensure the comprehensive peace envisioned by the CPA. High levels of violence and displacement in South Sudan in 2009, and continued violence against civilians, widespread insecurity, and humanitarian concerns in Darfur show that much more work is needed to bring the peace and stability the Sudanese people deserve. We welcome the efforts on Darfur of the UN/AU Mediator Djibrill Bassole and the State of Qatar, and the appointment of Ibrahim Gambari as Joint Special Representative for UNAMID, and remain committed to UNAMID’s mission.
While progress has been made, all sides must redouble their efforts in 2010. We appeal to all parties in Sudan to come together to work intensely to address the challenges facing their people. Ultimately, issues concerning Sudan’s future must be resolved by the Sudanese themselves.
We pledge our governments’ active commitment to support efforts for peace and stability in Sudan. We will work with all interested international partners, including the United Nations, the African Union, regional organizations, and neighboring countries to support the initiatives of the people of Sudan to build a peaceful and prosperous future.