April 22, 2014 (KHARTOUM) - Peace talks between the Sudanese government and the rebel Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) have resumed in Addis Ababa on Tuesday in a new bid to end the nearly three year conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.
Last March, the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP) chief Thabo Mbeki suspended the talks after failing to bridge the positions of the parties on the agenda of the negotiations. He pointed out that the SPLM-N did not accept a draft framework agreement he had proposed.
However, the African Union Peace and Security Council reiterated its support to his mediation and requested the panel to broker a peace deal before the end of April.
The AUHIP in a short twit on Tuesday confirmed the resumption of talks as scheduled. Also sources from the venue of the peace process in Addis Ababa told Sudan Tribune the mediation, on the first day of negotiations, received both parties’ position on the contentious issues.
It further pointed that the two sides expressed readiness to engage in direct talks.
The head of the government negotiating team, Ibrahim Ghandour, and the head of the SPLM-N negotiating team, Yasir Arman, held a closed meeting which continued until late at night. Also, they are expected to meet again on Wednesday in presence of the chief mediator Thabo Mbeki.
Before Tuesday’s meeting, Mbeki requested the heads of the two delegations to sit together in order to narrow the gaps and to identify their disagreements regarding the draft framework agreement he had proposed on 18 February before to suspend the discussions.
Mbeki, Sudan Tribune has learnt, reiterated to the two parties the need to make a breakthrough and reach a cessation of hostilities enabling the start of humanitarian operation to deliver aid to the affected civilians, particularly in the rebel held areas.
The government, in its position paper, focused on the need to declare a comprehensive ceasefire, but stressed that it should not be only for humanitarian purpose. Khartoum further demands to adhere to the tripartite initiative as a mechanism for delivering of relief supplies.
The government also rejects engagement in a bilateral political partnership with the SPLM-N apart from the other political parties, as it was previously agreed in the 28 June framework agreement with regard to the democratic transition process.
Khartoum argues that the national dialogue process which aims to involve all the political forces should not be hampered by such clause.
In an extraordinary meeting held from 31 March to 3 April, the SPLM-N leadership that reiterated is rejection for partial solutions, and saying they stick to the comprehensive solution as the only option.
SPLM-N secretary general and head it its negotiating team, told reporters on Tuesday they want a comprehensive solution and stressed that the conflict in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states should be resolved within this national framework.
The conflict of the Two Areas "cannot be separated from the issue of Sudan. the Movement’s leadership has confirmed this position in its the last meeting in the Nuba Mountains," Arman said.
He further reiterated the SPLM-N willingness to immediately stop hostilities, asking Khartoum to allow aid groups to deliver humanitarian assistance to affected civilians in all the war zone areas in Blue Nile and South Kordofan, but also in Darfur region and North Kordofan state.
The rebel leader further said that the current conditions created by the recent vague of militia attacks on civilians in Darfur and the Two Areas are less favorable for dialogue with the regime.
The deputy chairman of the government negotiating team, Omer Suleiman, had said in statements in Khartoum prior to leaving for Addis Ababa they will extend the invitation of president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir for the national dialogue to the SPLM-N.
The rebel alliance of the Susan Revolutionary Forces (SRF) which includes the SPLM-N rejected Bashir’s call for dialogue and demanded the government to hold direct talks with them to negotiate a cessation of hostilities and open humanitarian access to civilians in the rebel areas.
Suleiman said the government delegation for the peace talks on the Two Areas is comprised of 6 political parties, underscoring the government’s seriousness to achieve peace.
“We would go to negotiations with full powers and will to discuss the major issues”, he added.
He pointed their delegation would negotiate on three tracks including the security, humanitarian, and political track, saying reaching agreement on the security track will lead to a ceasefire which allows aid groups to deliver food, drugs, and medical and humanitarian services to the affected population.
Sudan’s commissioner of humanitarian aid and member of the negotiating team, Suleiman Abdel-Rahman, said the delegation is fully authorised to negotiate a comprehensive solution, adding they are ready to reach humanitarian deal within the framework of the comprehensive solution.
(ST)
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