SPLM-N proposes involving UNISFA in the children vaccination campaign
July 13, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) has proposed to involve the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in a vaccination campaign for children in the rebel controlled areas.
The government said its humanitarian agency should supervise this operation, but the rebels rejected its involvement and proposed to organize it from Ethiopia and Kenya with the participation of their humanitarian personnel.
“The SPLM-N forwarded a new idea to speed up and facilitate the vaccination campaign by involving UNISFA to carry-out the necessary arrangements and in particular, ensuring the safety of the United Nations personnel involved in the vaccination program with the full cooperation of the parties and providing logistics for them especially in the SPLM-N areas”, said SPLM-N secretary general Yasir Arman in a statement he email to Sudan Tribune on Saturday.
Arman went further to disclose that following the rocket attack of 14 June on Kadugli airport which hit the base of UNISFA there, they “established direct contact with UNISFA and coordinated with them to stop the shelling on Kadugli”.
The shelling of UNISFA headquarters impacted negatively the implementation of security arrangements agreement between the Sudan and South Sudan and forced the UN mission to stop mentoring flights the peacekeepers have to conduct on daily basis in the buffer zone on the border.
The leading rebel official went further to add that the SPLM-N is ready to use UNISFA presence in Kadugli “positively” to facilitate the vaccination campaign and to increase the chances for a full humanitarian cessation of hostilities.
The proposition about the new role for UNISFA was discussed in a meeting the SPLM-N held from 27 June to 5 July in the rebel controlled areas in South Kordofan.
During the nine-day meeting, the rebel group reiterated its commitment to the UN 2046 and reaffirmed their readiness to sign a humanitarian cessation of hostilities and to engage political talks “resolving the political crisis in Sudan”.
The rebel group refuses to hold negotiations aiming to resolve the Blue Nile and South Kordofan conflict and demands a comprehensive process involving the opposition parties and other rebel groups .
But Khartoum, rejects this proposals stressing that a political agreement on the Two states should be prior to any humanitarian deal. The government also says an all parties conference can be organised after the signing of a peace deal not before.
Informed sources in Khartoum close to the file of negotiations with the SPLM-N said that UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, Ali Al-Za’tari, met last week with the Sudanese officials to discuss with them the new proposal made by the rebels about the vaccination campaign.
“The government reiterated its initial position that any humanitarian action should be carried out under its full control”, he said.
Sudanese government and the SPLM-N signed an agreement with UN agencies, African Union and Arab League aiming to provide civilians in the rebel held areas with humanitarian assistance, but they disagreed on how to implement it.
(ST)