Sudanese government willing to discuss peace with any SPLM-N delegates
February 8, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese presidential assistant and government top negotiator, Ibrahim Gandour, on Saturday reiterated its willingness to negotiate on the conflict in the Two Areas with anybody representing the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).
“We will seat at the negotiating table with whoever stands behind the banner of the SPLM-N, provided he is there to engage in dialogue with us in accordance with the UN resolution 2046 and the decisions of the African Union Peace and Security Council,” Gandour said.
On Friday the SPLM-N released the names of its delegation for peace talks in Addis Ababa on 13 February, organized by the African Union High Level Implementation Panel headed by former South African president Thabo Mbeki.
The rebel negotiating team which is chaired by Yasir Arman includes also seven national experts from Darfur rebel groups, opposition parties and civil society activists.
Arman who is also the SPLM-N secretary-general recently said they want to discuss the humanitarian access to affected civilians in the rebel controlled areas in Blue Nile, Darfur and South Kordofan, stressing that the a comprehensive process should be held to discuss a new constitution for the country.
The SPLM-N’s inclusion of experts from other political forces and civil society groups in its negotiating team aims to draw political support inside the country, but also to put pressures on the government, say observers in Khartoum.
The other rebel groups member of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) refuse to held talks on the resolution of Darfur conflict and demand to unite the different peace forums, but the government rejects their request.
(ST)