Eastern Peace Agreement forgotten?

In Tokyo, Japan, the president of Sudan made the keynote speech at a conference on African Development. He proclaimed the glories of democracy. He noted a desire among nations for stability, to overcome diseases and poverty, but acknowledged debt as a significant factor in preventing these good plans from being realized.
With debt being cancelled development could go ahead, as long as peace existed. Field Marshal Omer Al-Bashir then reminded the other governmental leaders that peace agreements had been signed with regional factions in Sudan. Though short, in this reveiew, The Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement was not mentioned. Bashir said:

Peace in the Sudan is our strategic goal. Thanks to the regional and international mediation and the support of partners across the world, we concluded, on 9 January 2005, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement which ended more than two decades of war in South Sudan. And with similar determination we signed, on 5 May 2006 the Darfur Peace Agreement. The government of Sudan and the parties have been working together to implement the two agreements. I thank the African Union and the United Nations, the regional organizations and international community for supporting the implementation of the agreements and I would like to assure them of our continued commitment to consolidate peace in Sudan and stability in the region. However, our efforts are being undermined by unjustifiable and unacceptable external violation of our sovereignty and the right of the Sudanese people to live in peace.

Bashir went on to complain about Chadian support for the attack on Kahrtoum in early May, 2008. He pointed out recent attempts to reconcile political parties, the hope being to "bring all the political forces in the country under the umbrella of an all -inclusive conference to address challenges and resolve outstanding national issues."

http://www.sudanvisiondaily.com//modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=35572

They met, and talked

DDR programmes in eastern Sudan discussed
Khartoum, May 27 (SUNA) - Assistant of the President of the Republic Musa Mohamed Ahmed discussed at his office at the Republican Palace Tuesday with the Chairman of North Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission, Sulaf-Eddin Salih, programs of the commission in eastern Sudan.

The meeting included members of the committee for implementation and following-up of the programmes of the commission in east Sudan which works to involve all sectors of the Sudanese people in the implementation of the programmes.

http://www.unmis.org/english/2008Docs/mmr-may28.pdf

Looking for nomad children to go to school

Kassala, May 26 (SUNA)- The state campaign for enrollment of pupils in nomadic schools, organized by the Ministry of Education in Kassala State in collaboration with UNICEF, was launched Monday in the localities of western rural areas of Kassala and Wad Al-Helaio. Addressing the occasion, Minister of Education in Kassala State Ahmed Abusin affirmed his ministry's concern with boosting the education process in the rural areas, especially for the nomads. He referred to the ministry's keenness to remove all obstacles affecting the education process, especially nomads and girls education in the state.

http://www.sudan.net/news/posted/16026.html


UPDATE - October 2009. A 19 page report analyzing the reasons why Beja children drop out of school was written in 1998. It's a pdf file.
http://bit.ly/ZXsCA

De-mining Tokar-Garora begins in mid May

(SMC) The National Mine Action Centre is undertaking preparations for start of work for de-mining of Kadugli-Koda road in southern Kordofan, 95 kilometers, and Tokar- Garora road in the Red Sea State. Director of the National Mine Action Centre Col. Al-Awad Al-Bashir announced this, pointing out that the de-mining operations over the two roads would start mid current May and are expected to be completed before the start of the rainy season. He referred to the importance of the two roads, which contribute to the return of the internally displaced persons and refugees to their areas.

Source
May 4 Daily report
http://www.unmis.org/english/m-monitoring.htm