Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane concludes her working visit to the Republic of the Sudan, 23-26 October 2010

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and Chair of the African Union (AU) Ministerial Committee on Post Conflict and Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) in Sudan, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, successfully concluded her working visit to the Republic of the Sudan.

Minister Nkoana-Mashabane led a delegation of the African Union Ministerial Committee, which comprises of Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and the Sudan. The working visit was in line with the terms of reference established by the committee in 2003, which among others include making an assessment, in consultation with the Government of the Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), of the needs and magnitude of the Post conflict challenges in the Sudan; and to mobilise, as broadly as possible, African support for the post-conflict reconstruction efforts.

Accordingly, Minister Nkoana-Mashabane began her PCRD visit to the Sudan with a meeting with her counterparts serving in the committee. The meetings provided the Minister and members of the committee with an opportunity to discuss the way forward with regards to the important aspects of the post reconstruction and development of the Sudan.

One of the core objectives of the visit was to asses the challenges faced by the Sudan on PCRD in the pre- and post-referendum periods. The Committee met with the Foreign Minister of the Sudan, Mr Karti, who expressed appreciation to the Committee for visiting the Sudan especially at this critical time in the history of that country on the eve of the referendum for Southern Sudan’s self-determination, as stipulated by the CPA agreed to in 2005.  The Committee, in return, expressed its commitment to assist the Sudanese during this time in ways it possibly can, and also alluded to the wish of the AU for the Referendum to be held in a peaceful environment so as to allow the will of the people of South to be expressed.

The Committee met with the Chair of the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP) former President Thabo Mbeki. The high level panel briefed the Committee on its work as the facilitator of the implementation of the peace process in the Sudan.  

The second leg of the visit led to Minister Nkoana-Mashabane travelling to Juba with the Committee where meetings were held with the Government of the South Sudan (GOSS) and other stakeholders on PCRD. The Committee reiterated that there is a need to address the root causes of conflict, avoid the relapse into violence and consolidate sustainable peace.  The GOSS committed itself to work together with the NCP for the resolution of outstanding CPA issues including the North-South border demarcation.

Minister Nkoana-Mashabane was accompanied by President Jacob Zuma’s Special Envoy to the Sudan, Mr Charles Nqakula, and other senior government officials.

For more information, please contact Chief Director for Public Diplomacy, Mr Saul Kgomotso Molobi, on +27 351 0083, +27 82 940 1647 or email him at molobisk@dirco.gov.za.

Issued by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation
OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
0184

27 October 2010