Bush surprise at Sudan briefing

Bush Surprise at Sudan Briefing

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5128166.stm



Bush surprise at Sudan briefing

George Bush met the award winners from Africa for about an hour
US President George Bush expressed amazement when he heard that the
south Sudan peace deal was not
working 18 months after it was signed.

"That is not the information I'm getting," he told the BBC's Khartoum
reporter Alfred Taban, who
was in Washington to receive an award.

He met the president in the Oval Office with three other recipients of
the National Endowment for
Democracy award.

Last year, Sudan emerged from a 21-year war between the north and
south.

After two years of bargaining the Khartoum government and southern
rebels signed a comprehensive
peace deal in January 2005, that should provide a high degree of
autonomy for the south.

No water

Our correspondent says he spent almost 20 minutes talking to Mr Bush,
who was very keen to hear
about the situation in Sudan.


Whatever information you're getting that peace agreement is not being
implement by the government
in Khartoum

BBC's Alfred Taban

"He asked me if the peace agreement was working and I said, 'Mr
President, it is not working,' and
he was very surprised," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

When the president said that this was not what he had been informed,
our reporter said he told Mr
Bush: "Well, whatever information you're getting - that peace agreement
is not being implemented
by the government in Khartoum."

He went on to tell the president that people in southern Sudan were
still waiting to see
improvements to their lives.

"There's no water, there's no electricity, nothing in Juba," our
correspondent said, describing
life in the capital of south Sudan.

During the discussion Mr Bush called one of his aides and asked to be
given more details on
southern Sudan.

"He appeared to be taking it very seriously," our reporter said,
describing the president's manner
as warm and welcoming, despite the intimidating surroundings.

"You could almost feel the power radiating from the Oval Office," our
reporter said.

Freedom fighters

Mr Bush said the four African winners of the National Endowment for
Democracy award, were being
honoured for their "courage and fortitude and strength in promoting
freedom".

"We've got a man from the Sudan who talked eloquently about free
press," the president said.

"My spirits are enriched by talking to freedom lovers and freedom
fighters,"

The other award winners were:

Zainab Bangura, human rights and women's rights campaigner from Sierra
Leone
Immaculee Birhaheka, human rights and women's rights activist from the
Democratic Republic of
Congo
Reginald Matchaba-Hove, human rights activist from Zimbabwe.







Freedom is Respect of Rights. For me, Am Free Because my Freedom never "
"came Freely.

دينق
دبايوا.
US President George Bush expressed amazement when he heard that the
south Sudan peace deal was not
working 18 months after it was signed.

انت رئيس الهنا دا كان وين سنة ونصف واين استخباراته وسفراءه المعتمدين وغير المعتمدين لماذا لم يخبره اعضاء الحركة اصحاب المناصب الرسمية بحقيقة بطء التنفيذ؟اليس من المخجل ان يصرح بوش بمثل هذا التصريح الذى يؤكد غباء هذا الرجل.