UNITED NATIONS, Jan 29 (NNN-NAN) — Nigeria has called on the international community to intensify support for the implementation the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005 between the Sudanese government and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).

Professor Joy Ogwu, Nigeria?s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) here Wednesday that the CPA needed “intensified political support?? to prevent a return of crisis in Sudan.

Ogwu, who conveyed Nigeria?s position at the UN Security Council consultation on Sudan, noted that the concern on “violent disintegration of Sudan was equally palpable?? within the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council.

“Nigeria calls for intensified political support for the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement by the UN Security Council, the AU, sub-regional actors and bilateral partners,” she said.

“International actors should devise a mechanism to facilitate genuine cooperation between the National Congress Party (NCP) and SPLM and for them to re-engage and commit fully to the implementation of the CPA.”

On the forthcoming Sudanese elections scheduled for April, the first since 1986, the Nigerian envoy said it was also necessary to implement the AU High Level Panel?s recommendations on the country.

“This was emphasised by former South African President Thabo Mbeki during his recent briefing of the Council, particularly the need to conclude a peace deal to resolve the Darfur crisis well before the April 2010 general election,?? she said.

in order to ensure a smooth transition in the country, Ogwu said urgent and concrete action should be taken to address the difficult relationship between the National Congress Party (NCP) ofthe northern and the SPLM which controls the south.

She said there was also a need to address the April 2010 elections, post-referendum issues, violence in southern Sudan and the outstanding issues in Abyei and border demarcation.

The polls in Sudan are part of the agreement which ended the two-decade civil war between North and South. The CPA was meant to develop democratic governance and further set a timetable by which Southern Sudan would have a referendum on its independence.

Although there has been constructive engagement by the parties, concerns have been raised over the commitment to implementing, in full, the terms of the CPA following accusations of violations. — NNN-NAN