Minister of International Development, Hilde F. Johnson

Sudan Peace Agreement Signing Ceremony

Nairobi, 9 January 2005

Presidents,
Ministers,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Today we have witnessed history. The war is over. This is probably the most important day in the history of Sudan.

It is a day to celebrate the people of Sudan!

It is a day to salute you, the leaders of the people of Sudan!

It is a day to set out on the journey of peace!

You, Vice President Ali Osman Taha and SPLM Chairman John Garang, have shown great courage and determination in delivering this peace agreement. You will now be able to bring about a new Sudan – a Sudan of hope, of justice, of unity, of opportunity.

On behalf of the IGAD Partners Forum and the Norwegian government, it is a great pleasure for me to congratulate IGAD and you, the Sudanese leaders, and all the people of Sudan on the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

More than 20 years of civil war is over, in fact 39 years of fighting altogether.

Over the past seven of these years, I have witnessed at close hand the strenuous efforts that lie behind today’s agreement. Now we are there!

You, the leaders of Sudan, have brought a challenging process to a successful end. Ahead of you is another, even more challenging one.

The signing of an agreement is only a first step. Implementation will be the test of true commitment. The agreement must be followed to the letter. Step by step, decision by decision, action by action. Signatures alone do not deliver peace. Action does, when the agreement is translated into reality. Implementation is what counts, not ink on paper.

We trust that you, the leaders, will bring about the new Sudan you have so often talked about.

We count on you to rapidly form a government of national unity in Khartoum, to include other opposition parties and political forces in the running of the country, to decentralise decision-making.

We count on you for the rapid reconstruction of areas devastated by war, and for accountability and transparency throughout the process.

We count on you to bring about reconciliation in local communities, and to include marginalised groups, such as women, in the political processes.

We count on you to ensure peace and stability, and put an end to all fighting, by all actors.

We count on you to find a swift and sustainable solution to the problems in Darfur.

The situation in Darfur must be brought under control. The crisis cannot be allowed to continue. Peace must be established in the whole of Sudan. We need a political solution to the crisis in the Western region.

The agreement we are celebrating today provides a basis for a solution in Darfur. This opportunity must not be wasted. Indeed, it must be job number one for the new government.

Darfur must also be included in the forthcoming joint reconstruction efforts.

The international community must be your partners, in providing the necessary international guarantees, in monitoring the cease-fire, in assessing and evaluating progress, and in the rebuilding of the country.

The reconstruction of Sudan will be a task of enormous proportions. This burden of reconstruction, in Africa and now currently in Asia as well, must be shared by the whole of the international donor community. Sudan must not suffer from the tsunami disaster. As donors, we must deliver.

Norway will host the first international donor conference for Sudan as soon as the political and humanitarian situation allows. I believe donors will respond generously. In turn we expect the money to be spent wisely and accountably.

You, the leaders of Sudan, have demonstrated genuine leadership.

You have shown true commitment to the vision of a unified and stable Sudan.

We count on you to follow through in this process.

We count on you to deliver on your promises.

We count on you to bring about a better life for all Sudanese.

Today is the day to celebrate a job well done. But tomorrow heralds the beginning of an even greater challenge – translating words into actions.

The international community will stand by your side.

As we count on you to deliver, so you can count on us.

Together we can and will succeed in creating a peaceful and prosperous Sudan.

The peoples of your great country deserve no less.

Thank you.