Postcard from Africa - Pragmatic Kadhafi - The Sudanese Conflict tearing South from North and is on the verge of internationalisation. Libyan Leader, Colonel Kadhafi suggests the most pragmatic recipe so far for its solution.....<BR>21 March, 1999

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PRAGMATIC KADHAFI

It is impossible to impose Sharia Law in a country like the Sudan says Libyan leader, Col. Muammar Kadhafi, to surprised professors and students at Cairo University’s Faculty of Law during his recent visit to Egypt. The Libyan leader says he has been speaking with the opposition in Sudan as part of his efforts to mediate a peaceful end to the civil war in the country.

He disclosed that he had discussed the meeting with the former Sudanese Prime Minister Sadek Al-Mahdi and had also held meetings with key members of the Sudanese opposition he received in Tripoli. The problem of southern Sudan, he said, is a "virus" planted by neo-colonialist forces in order to destabilise Sudan as well as neighbouring Egypt.

However, Kadhafi said the problem in the southern Sudan, where rebels of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army have been fighting since 1983, was nothing more than a north-south power struggle. He stressed that all Sudanese should understand that the country belongs to all of them and not to individuals, parties or groups of people. He recalled that after several years of civil war, Sudan has still not achieved real national reconciliation, which is all the country needs to resolve its problem.
"Sudan belongs to all Sudanese - Muslims, Christians and all others. God is everybody’s. This is what makes it impossible to impose Islamic Sharia in this country," he said.

According to Kadhafi, the Muslims have not reached a consensus on the application of Sharia in Islamic countries and how to harmonise it with Roman, Christian and Napoleon’s laws.
Recalling his meeting with the leader SPLA, Col. John Garang, a few weeks ago in Tripoli, the Libyan leader said that the latter was prepared to meet unconditionally with the Sudanese government.

Kadhafi expressed the hope that former Prime Minister Al-Mahdi will be allowed to return to Sudan, saying Libya and Egypt were negotiation with Khartoum on the matter.
He said he looks forward to a meeting with Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir soon.

Kadhafi added that he is "very optimist" on the success of a Libya-led mediation, supported by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, in resolving the Sudanese problem.