Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka shares a light moment with Sudanese voters at Nairobi Railway Club polling centre, Sunday. With him are Sudan’s Ambassador to Kenya Majok Guandong (2nd left) and nominated MP Mohamed Affey (centre) [PHOTO: BONIFACE OKENDO/STANDARD]
Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka addresses journalists at Railways Club, Nairobi where South Sudanese living in Kenya were cast their votes on January 9, 2011 during the first day of the week-long referendum. PHOTO/TOM MARUKO
By AGGREY MUTAMBO amutambo@ke.nationmedia.comPosted Sunday, January 9 2011 at 22:00
The journey that culminated in the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that set a timetable for the South Sudan referendum was rocky, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka said on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters moments after visiting the Railways Club polling centre in Nairobi, the VP said convincing the Sudan Government to accept talks was tough.
The peace process had been encouraged by Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) partners way back in 2002 but one major party, according to Mr Kalonzo, was yet to be brought on board.
Although Egypt was not a member of IGAD, it had to be involved because it shares the Nile and a border with Sudan.
The process began when Mr Kalonzo was Kenya’s minister for Foreign Affairs. The path to the CPA, signed in Naivasha, started with the Machakos Protocol of 2004.
The protocol set out details on the transition of Southern Sudan, the state of religion and the structure of government that would be set up to accommodate the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLA).
But negotiations ran into problems. The VP had to persuade Egyptian authorities to prevail on Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir to allow talks to continue.
“I flew to Egypt and talked to the Foreign Affairs minister there, who later addressed a press conference in Arabic. Although I didn’t know the language, that was the turning point to the talks,” said the VP.
“Mr Al-Bashir was reluctant because he had earlier released his vice (Ali Osman Taha) to Abuja, where talks were to be held, but failed.”
Another challenge was to persuade Dr John Garang, then SPLA leader. According to the VP, he was at the time trying to convince his people about the talks.
Mr Musyoka flew from Cairo to Khartoum to talk to the Sudanese Government on the need for the peace talks to proceed.
Mr Al-Bashir reluctantly assigned his deputy again, to meet Mr Garang. The talks led to the signing of the CPA in 2005.
“It was difficult. These were people who had been fighting for years,” said the VP.
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