Sudanese rebel leaders demand separation of religion and state

Sudanese rebel leaders demand separation of religion and state



News Article by AFP posted on October 29, 2004 at 08:16:55: EST (-5 GMT)

Sudanese rebel leaders demand separation of religion and state

ABUJA, Oct 29 (AFP) - Sudanese rebel leaders demanded that Islam
be kept out of government in the war torn region of Darfur on
Friday, opening up another potentially dangerous rift between them
and the Khartoum government.

Speaking as African Union peace talks in the Nigerian capital
Abuja moved on to discussion of a political settlement to the
20-month-old civil conflict, rebel leaders called for a clear
division between religion and the state in Sudan.

"We are now prepared to start deliberations on the political
issues, following the appeal of the international observers and
facilitators," said Mahgoud Hussein, spokesman for the rebel Sudan
Liberation Movement (SLM).

"Firstly, we'll start with the declaration of principles. We
want a clear distinction between the state and religion. Right now
in Sudan you have a situation where Islam is given prominence over
other religions," he added.

"This shouldn't be so. Even though I'm a Muslim, we want
religion to be a personal thing with every citizen having the
freedom to practice what he believes in," he explained.

The rebel demand was immediately rejected by government
negotiators, who insisted that mainly-Muslim northern Sudan,
including Darfur, should be governed under the principles of Islamic
law.

"Darfur is in the north, so Sharia law should apply. It is not
negociable," said Abdul Zuma, media adviser to the Sudanese
government at the talks.

Darfur's black African tribes are predominantly Muslim but
regard themselves as culturally separate from the Arabs who dominate
the Khartoum government.

In earlier peace negotiations with mainly Christian rebels in
southern Sudan the government conceded that Sharia law would not
apply there under an eventual settlement, but the western region of
Darfur was not included in the offer.

Darfur's warring parties have been meeting in Abuja for more
than a week in a bid to find a way out of a conflict which has
claimed tens of thousands of lives and driven 1.5 million civilians
from their homes.

The rebels launched an insurrection last year to fight for
greater autonomy and public spending for their region, alleging that
Khartoum's Arab-led regime discriminates against black populations.

شكرا يا دينق
افتكر انه ثوار دارفور لو تمسكوا بهذه القضيه طرحهم بكون واضح جدا!!! شريطة أن لا يطرحوا هذه القضيه كتكتيك!!!

هذا فقط طرح حركة تحرير السودان
الحركه الاخري العدل والمساواة لا تطالب بذلك بل ترفضه
سيشتعل الخلاف فيما بينهما في هذه النقطه
والحكايه كلها تجاره في تجاره في تجاره
والضحيه الوطن والمواطن
والدين والدوله