Sudanese President Omar Bashir fired his chief adviser on the peace process, Ghazi Salah Eddin Atabani, the official Sudan News Agency reported yesterday. âThe president ... issued a presidential decree yesterday relieving Dr. Ghazi Salah Eddin, the presidential adviser on peace affairs, from his post upon his (Atabaniâs) request,â SUNA said. The dismissal came as a surprise as state media had reported that Atabani would lead the government delegation when peace talks with the rebel Sudan Peopleâs Liberation Army resumed in Kenya next week.
| "Surprise! You ain't going!" |
It was known that Atabani had differences with other members of the government over a number of issues in the peace process. Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail had denied that such differences existed.
| "So I lied. I'm a Muslim. What'd you expect?" |
The government and the SPLA have agreed on a six-year transitional period and are now negotiating a final settlement to the 20-year civil war. Atabani was due to be replaced in five days time by Sudanese First Vice President Ali Osman Taha as the talks with SPLA leader John Garang continue. No reason was given for Atabaniâs resignation, but observers have speculated that he was angry at being replaced by Taha in the August round of talks, despite being included in the governmentâs delegation in October. |