Edited by Enoch Awejok - On his recent interview with voice of America, GoSS Head of Mission to the United States and the United Nations, Hon. Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth has described the ongoing negotiations between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the National Congress Party (NCP) as “peaceful divorce”.

Below is the full details of the interview:

H.E. Ezekiel: it’s very important for us as SPLM, our team is happy and we are ready to negotiate in good faith with the NCP. Because it’s very important as we approach the referendum, all the pending issues that need to be implemented must be implemented, and, then the post 2011 arrangements have to be discussed transparently and faithfully. That is why we are committed, we are ready and we will actually cooperate and negotiate in good faith with the NCP.

VOA: You have so many world leaders and experts who are involve in the current negotiation, are you confident that the rest of the provisions of the CPA will be implemented especially with less than six months to go before the referendum?

H.E. Ezekiel: You know, honestly speaking, I think what we are entering into is negotiating peaceful divorce. There no way we can actually have a chance to implement everything and transform Sudan into a better Sudan for all of us. Furthermore, having former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki, President Abu-Bakr and former Burundian President Buyoya and the African Union High Implementation Panel, this is actually a boost to the two parties and we are happy that the AU is taking a lead in this with chairmanship of Thabo Mbeki.

The SPLM is committed and happy that the world is refocusing on the CPA implementation. We have 179 days left as of today so that we have a referendum. We have no time, we have to do whatever we can to make sure that this referendum is held on time, the outcome is respected, accepted and recognized. Therefore, we are calling on the world leaders and also the world organizations especially the UN and the AU to make sure that the referendum is monitored from the process of registration all the way to the day we conduct the vote.

VOA: Specifically, what details are you negotiating currently with the NCP?

H.E. Ezekiel: You know, as of now we are negotiating four issues:

1. Citizenship and nationalities. What do we do to those Southerners in the north and to the Northerners in the south? What do we do if the outcome is separation?
2. Security. What do we do with the Joint Integrated Unit (JIU)?
3. International treaties and legal issues. These include the treaties that Sudan has signed internationally.
4. Financial, economy and natural resources. Issues of debts, assets, oil and water.

Those are four key issues that we are engage in the four working groups. But as I said earlier, we are negotiating these issues in case of unity or separation. Even though the likelihood of separation is the one on the table now. Because if you look at it, according to the opinion posted in South Sudan and internationally, over 98% of the people of South Sudan are going to vote for separation if the referendum is conducted today and we have only five moths left (179 days).

VOA: the Sudan foreign minister that was recently sworn in said, that if there is a relapse of what is going on and the negotiations fail, the possible war that would be resumed will be far worst than the longer one that was fought between the north and the south. President Bashir is a record to us by saying that there will be tension near the boarder of each other if the south decides to secede and becomes an independent nation. What is the SPLM/A position with these comments coming from officials in the NCP?

H.E. Ezekiel: You know, the position of SPLM/A is very clear. We are tired of war, we don’t want to go back to war, and we want a peaceful Sudan, peaceful Africa and peaceful region for all of us. Those who are preaching for war; I think they don’t the meaning of war. Especially, this new minister Ali Karti, he should not be encouraging more death and more blood shed. I think it is in the interest of the north and the south to have a peaceful Sudan for all of us.

Let me be a record, that it is actually important to know that even if there is no demarcation of boarders between the north and the south, the referendum is going to be conducted and even if we didn’t have any negotiations on post 2011 arrangements issues, still there will be a referendum. These are long-term negotiations that will not end today or even tomorrow. But we are actually telling the world that we want peace, we are for peace and want to make sure that the north is viable economically and security wise. And, it is very important for the north to do the same thing so that both will be viable states and Africa will be a secure region.