Foreign Minister, Hon. Moses Wetang'ula addressing the 14th Extra Ordinary Session of IGAD Council of Ministers

The 14^th Extraordinary Summit of the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government on the Sudan Peace Process opened in Nairobi on 8^th March, 2010. The Summit, convened to review the progress of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), was attended by all the member states of the organization, observers and partners to the peace process.

The first of the two- day summit was dedicated to a session of the IGAD Council of Ministers meeting. The Council was chaired by Kenya’s Foreign Affairs minister, Hon. Moses Wetangu’la. On 9th March, the Council is expected to submit its report on the status of the CPA for consideration by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

The Minister cited the establishment of the South Sudan and Abyei Referenda Commissions and administrative modalities, the North-South Border Demarcation, the upcoming General elections, the self-determination referendum and the post-referendum arrangement as the key issues that will define the road ahead for the peace process. He called on the signatories to the CPA to move swiftly towards the full implementation of the Agreement.

He also reminded the delegates that the CPA had no provisions for the post referendum period, and urged them to use the meeting to set a clear plan to secure the peace process beyond the CPA, which expires on 2011.

Speaking at the meeting H.E. Eng. Mahaboub Maalim, the IGAD Executive Secretary, urged the two parties to engender trust and complimentarity in the peace process to resolve the outstanding issues. He said that achieving peace and stability in the region would enable IGAD to focus on other key issues in the region such as food security and enviromental protection.

The meeting was also addressed by Dr. Mutrif Sadiq, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of   Sudan, H.E. Ramtane Lamara, the African Union Commissioner  for Peace and Security, H.E. Sir Derek Plumbly, Chairman of the Assessment and Evaluation Commission of the CPA, H.E. Pierandrea Magistrati, the Ambassador of Italy to Kenya, H.E.Michael O’neill, UK Special Representative for Sudan and representatives of the Governments of the United States, Norway and the European Union                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        At At the the close of the Summit, the Heads of States of States and Government are expected to issue a joint communiqué on the Sudan peace process.