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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Nairobi
10 July 2007
Sudan's government has missed a deadline to withdraw all its troops from southern Sudan as called for by a landmark1 peace deal. As Nick Wadhams reports from our East Africa bureau in Nairobi, the news could be a bad omen2 for lasting3 peace between Sudan's government and southern rebels.
Under the agreement that ended Africa's longest conflict, Sudan was required to withdraw all its troops from the south by July 9. But a United Nations statement says the north has withdrawn4 about 66 percent of its troops, leaving more than 15,000 troops where they should not be.
Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) soldier (file photo) |
A spokesman for Sudan's Foreign Ministry8, Ali Sadiq Ali, insists that the government in Khartoum continues to uphold the spirit of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and will withdraw its troops.
"There are some delays here and there, not only the withdrawal9 of troops, there are delays in so many areas, some areas have been fulfilled to the book," he said. "The political will is there. I am very optimistic. I don't think the delays are intentional10 or they reflect bad faith from either side. I am sure that the government of Sudan will abide11 by the agreement."
The news that government troops remain in south Sudan could cause trouble because the southern government is supposed to take over security on Tuesday. The 2005 peace deal created an autonomous12 government in the south and was supposed to establish two separate armies.
The south is also home to massive oil reserves, where the two sides were supposed to deploy13 joint14 units. There are some fears that the north's troops have stayed behind in oil-rich areas. Sadiq denied those reports.
The peace deal has managed to hold so far despite violations16 by both sides. In 2006, the southern forces ignored a deadline that required them to withdraw from areas of eastern Sudan.
And 150 people were reported killed in the town of Malakal in fighting between the north and the south. Those clashes were sparked by northern-backed militias and were the most serious violation15 of the peace accord since it was signed.
The civil war was fought between the largely Christian17 Sudan People's Liberation Army in the South and the forces of the Sudanese government in the north, which is mostly Muslim.
The war and the peace deal are entirely18 separate from the ongoing19 conflict in Darfur, in Sudan's west.
1 landmark | |
n.陆标,划时代的事,地界标 | |
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2 omen | |
n.征兆,预兆;vt.预示 | |
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3 lasting | |
adj.永久的,永恒的;vbl.持续,维持 | |
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4 withdrawn | |
vt.收回;使退出;vi.撤退,退出 | |
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5 alleges | |
断言,宣称,辩解( allege的第三人称单数 ) | |
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6 disarmed | |
v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 );使息怒 | |
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7 militias | |
n.民兵组织,民兵( militia的名词复数 ) | |
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8 ministry | |
n.(政府的)部;牧师 | |
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9 withdrawal | |
n.取回,提款;撤退,撤军;收回,撤销 | |
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10 intentional | |
adj.故意的,有意(识)的 | |
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11 abide | |
vi.遵守;坚持;vt.忍受 | |
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12 autonomous | |
adj.自治的;独立的 | |
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13 deploy | |
v.(军)散开成战斗队形,布置,展开 | |
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14 joint | |
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合 | |
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15 violation | |
n.违反(行为),违背(行为),侵犯 | |
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16 violations | |
违反( violation的名词复数 ); 冒犯; 违反(行为、事例); 强奸 | |
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17 Christian | |
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
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18 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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19 ongoing | |
adj.进行中的,前进的 | |
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