BuaNews (Tshwane)
21 June 2009
Pretoria — South Africa is expected to participate in a high-level conference aimed at discussing the role of the international community in implementing the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
The CPA was signed in January 2005 bringing an end to a long period of civil war in Southern Sudan, however, there is still the enormous task of reconstructing and developing the region which has suffered from severe underdevelopment.
Hosted by the United States, the conference is informed by the need for the international community to assist the parties to the CPA to overcome challenges in the implementation of the agreement.
According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, notable progress has been recorded, however, difficulties with the implementation of contentious provisions of the agreement have become a concern.
United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, said recently that with just two years to go, "the CPA has reached a critical juncture where any action or inaction on its provisions will have a profound impact on the future of the Sudan."
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane is expected to attend the conference, which is being, between 22 and 23 June, within the context of South Africa being Chair of the African Union (AU) Ministerial Committee on the Post-conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) of the Sudan.
The PCRD is mandated to assess the needs and magnitude of the post-conflict challenges in the Sudan as well as mobilise African support and sensitise the international community about the magnitude of the challenges of the Sudan.
South Africa has also deployed troops and civilian police in Darfur as part of the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).
The AU High-level Panel on Darfur is currently chaired by Former President Thabo Mbeki.
This panel is mandated to "examine the situation in Darfur in depth and to submit recommendations on how best the issues of accountability and combating impunity, on the one hand, peace, healing and reconciliation, on the other, and how the Darfur conflict could be effectively and comprehensively addressed".
The Panel is due to present its report to the next AU Summit in July in Libya.
Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane is also expected to hold bilateral talks with the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, on the fringes of the conference.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ebrahim Ebrahim is expected to lead a delegation to the 7th South Africa - Cuba Joint Consultative Mechanism (JCM) meeting next week.
The JCM, which will be held in Havana, Cuba will make allow for the two countries to discuss the current global economic crisis, South Africa's candidature of Ambassador Abdul Minty to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations resolutions with regard to Cuba among other issues.
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