LONDON, July 8 (Reuters) - Former southern rebel leader John Garang arrived in Khartoum for the first time in more than two decades on Friday to help form a new coalition government.
The president and vice presidents will be sworn in on Saturday in the presence of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Arab League chief Amr Moussa, senior U.S. officials and several African presidents.
Here are five facts about the government:
- A peace deal was signed in January to end the 21 year civil war. From the signing of the deal, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and ruling National Congress Party had six months, called the pre-interim period, to form a government. This ends on July 9 when a new constitution will also be adopted.
- Here are a few key terms of the January peace deal.
The south will have the right to hold a referendum on secession from the north by the end of the interim period or by 2011.
During the interim period there will be two armies, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).
Fifty percent of net oil revenue derived from oil producing wells in southern Sudan shall be allocated to the government of southern Sudan at the beginning of the pre-interim period. The remaining 50 percent to go to the national government and states in northern Sudan.
An Islamic banking system shall operate in northern Sudan and a conventional banking system in southern Sudan.
- The initial government line up is:
Omar Hassan al-Bashir Bashir - President.
John Garang - First Vice-President.
Ali Osman Mohamed Taha - Second Vice President.
- The remainder of the government is to be decided by Garang and Bashir within 30 days of July 9 as they are running a month late.
- After July 9, the six year "interim period" will begin. During the interim period, parliamentary elections will be held by end of the third year and presidential elections by end of the fourth year.