the occasion of the trade and investment seminar on Southern Sudan, Hilton
Hotel, Sandton
26 February 2009
Programme director
Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) Minister of Presidential Affairs and
Chairman of the Investment Authority of Southern Sudan, Dr Luka Biong
Deng
Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) Minister of Regional Co-operation, Dr
Marial B Benjamin
Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Anthony
Lino Makana
Ambassador of the Sudan to South Africa, Amb Kuol Alo
Ambassador of South Africa to the Sudan, Dr Manelisi Genge
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the South African business
community
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
On behalf of the government and the people of South Africa, I would like to
extend a warm welcome to the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) Ministers and
your delegation to South Africa. Indeed, we are pleased to have you here in
South Africa, and are looking forward to the strengthening of bilateral
relations between South Africa and the Sudan, particularly Southern Sudan.
Ministers, your presence today in South Africa does not only symbolise the
excellent and constructive relations between our two governments, but also a
commitment to develop a mutually beneficial relationship between South Africa
and Southern Sudan.
In January 2005, we witnessed the signing of the Comprehensive Peace
Agreement (CPA), which brought to an end a long period of devastating civil war
in Southern Sudan. The signing of the CPA ushered in a new era of hope for a
better future for Southern Sudan; an era of peace and stability, but also the
enormous task of reconstructing and developing a region that has suffered from
severe underdevelopment in all walks of life, including infrastructure and
human resources.
Ladies and gentlemen
While the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) has been engaged in setting up
institutions and structures of governance, the provision of basic services to
the people of Southern Sudan, and in ensuring that the CPA brings lasting
peace, security and stability in the region, Southern Sudan still faces
enormous challenges that have resulted from years of underdevelopment and civil
war.
These challenges are not only for Southern Sudanese, but for us as well as
part of the international community. As Africans, we are determined to tackle
the challenges that confront our continent. In doing this, we are guided by a
common vision of an African Continent which is prosperous, peaceful,
democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, united and which contributes to a world
that is just and equitable. A common vision of the need to forge partnerships
between governments and all segments of civil society, including the business
community. As Africans we share a common destiny and that none of us can
prosper in peace if any African country is weighed down by poverty and
underdevelopment. This means that we cannot be exclusively concerned with our
own national interests, but we need to collectively tackle challenges facing us
at regional and continental levels. South Africans today enjoy freedom and
democracy as a result of the collective support offered by Africans in our
continent and the international community to free South Africa from apartheid.
The demise of apartheid has given rise to a non-racial, non-sexiest, democratic
South Africa.
It is in the context of co-operation in support of the CPA that the
governments of our two countries and all sectors of the South African civil
society that this trade and investment seminar on Southern Sudan is arranged.
This seminar provides us with an opportunity to forge the necessary
partnerships in working towards the consolidation of peace in Southern Sudan
through economic development and by so doing advance the implementation of the
CPA. While development is being witnessed in the Sudan in general, Southern
Sudan in particular requires massive investment that would contribute to
realising its potential. The stimulating of the economic potential of a
peaceful Sudan would not only contribute to the development of the Horn of
Africa region, but also to the regeneration of the African continent.
The involvement of the Government of South Africa in the Sudan is guided by
the desire to see peace, security and stability in a united Sudan. Pursuant to
this objective, the South African government has been holding consultations
with the role players in the Sudan. Furthermore, Minister Dlamini Zuma as the
Chair of the African Union Committee on the post-conflict reconstruction and
development of the Sudan is also responsible for the engagement of AU member
states in the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement.
South Africaâs bilateral relations with the Sudan are conducted within the
framework of the Joint Bilateral Commission (JBC), which was established in
2006 as a vehicle to monitor the implementation of decisions and agreements
entered into by the two countries in the areas of bilateral co-operation and
mutual interest, and this is led by the Ministries of Trade and Industry of
both countries. The second session of the JBC took place in the Sudan in June
2008. One of the key resolutions from this JBC was the decision to increase the
presence of South African businesses in the Sudan as well as to encourage
investments from the Sudan to South Africa, in order to stimulate economic
development.
In November 2008, the Department of Foreign Affairs led a multi-sectoral
delegation to Southern Sudan to identify areas of co-operation in the
socio-economic fields. This is because we believe that the economic development
of Southern Sudan will contribute greatly to the post-conflict reconstruction
and development of the region.
As part of South Africaâs contribution to the post conflict reconstruction
and development programmes of the Sudan, the Department of Foreign Affairs, in
partnership with the Government of Southern Sudan and University of South
Africa (UNISA, is involved in a capacity and institution building project for
Southern Sudan. The project is aimed at capacitating Government of Southern
Sudan (GOSS) officials, and in contributing to the strengthening of government
institutions in Southern Sudan. To date, over 1, 000 Government of Southern
Sudan Officials have benefited from the project and we are currently providing
training to 39 officials from the GOSS Ministry of Legal Affairs, 25 officials
from the GOSS Ministry of Mines and Energy and 20 officials from the GOSS
judiciary. Our South African Police Services are in the process of finalising
preparations for the training of the Sudanese police, and the Department of
Foreign Affairs is also finalising preparations for assisting the Sudan
National Electoral Commission, which has a mandate to oversee general elections
in the Sudan in 2009.
Also, as an example of co-operation between us and the countries of the
north, the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany contributed 1,080,
000.00 Euros to the project for the training of GOSS officials in the fields of
legal affairs, judiciary and correctional services
South Africa will soon be opening a consulate general office in Juba,
Southern Sudan to create an environment of extensive engagement between us and
the peoples of Southern Sudan. This also is part of our departmentâs decision
to expand South Africaâs representation throughout the continent. Two officials
are already deployed there, and together with our mission in Khartoum, are
making preparations for the opening of the South African consulate in Juba. We
are hopeful that this objective will be achieved by April this year.
Ladies and gentlemen
We remain concerned with some of the internal challenges facing the
Sudan.
In an effort to see peace prevail in the Darfur region, South Africa has
contributed peacekeepers and civilian police to the United Nations African
Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). We are encouraged by the recent signing of
the agreement of goodwill and confidence building for the settlement of the
crisis in Darfur on 17 February 2009 which was concluded in Doha, Qatar under
the auspice of the Qatar initiative working closely with the AU-UN Joint Chief
Mediator for Darfur.
Despite some of the internal challenges facing the Sudan, we are confident
that as the Sudan progresses, economic opportunities will be extensive. Sudan
will open up markets to the region, as Southern Sudanâs potential is
unsurpassed in all sectors. It still remains an untapped territory in almost
all areas including agriculture, stock-farming and minerals, where vast areas
remain unexplored.
In closing, ladies and gentlemen, I am confident that the presentations you
will hear today will entice your interest to further explore a world of
opportunities in Southern Sudan.
Let me take this opportunity to thank our partners, the Department of Trade
and Industry and upbeat marketing for the excellent co-operation in arranging
this seminar which we are hopeful will be an unqualified success.
Let me also welcome Ministers from the Government of Southern Sudan, His
Excellencies Minister Benjamin, Minister Biong Deng, and Minister Makana to
South Africa and wish you a pleasant stay. Lastly, I would like to thank each
of you for being here today at this important occasion for South Africa and
Southern Sudan.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
26 February 2009
