Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 89084,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/89084/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 257,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Foreign Affairs",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "The decision to invite President Al-Bashir of Sudan to the ceremonies of the promulgation of Kenya’s new Constitution was based on a number of factors. 1. The desire to entrench and deepen the principle of good neighbourliness and the need to maintain closer relations with neighbouring countries is a matter of strategic and national interest for Kenya. The Heads of States consist of Kenya’s partners in the East African Community; that is Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda and member countries of IGAD; that is Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia. They were all invited. 2. As a guarantor of the Sudanese Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), it is incumbent upon Kenya to ensure that progress towards the conclusion of the Sudan peace process is undertaken successfully and results in the promotion of peace, justice, reconciliation and stability in the region. 3. There are a number of steps in this process which will culminate in the self determination referendum of Southern Sudan on 9th January, 2011. Only by carefully midwifing the process can stakeholder countries of the region be assured of a peaceful conclusion of the CPA, regardless of the outcome of the referendum. 4. In that regard, leaving President Al-Bashir out of the invitation to the ceremonies would have amounted to initiating a process of isolation of one of the key partners to the CPA. This will be inimical to the implementation of the CPA and particularly, holding of the referendum that I have referred to. Such an outcome could jeopardise the peace process in the Sudan with disastrous consequences for Kenya and the sub- region as well as erode Kenya’s role as a trusted interlocutor between the parties to the CPA; that is the Congress Party and the SPLM."
}