Sudan’s RNM denies accusing SPLM-N of stalling peace talks

November 20, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Reform Now Movement (RNM) led by Ghazi Salah al-Din al-Attabani has denied statements attributed to its deputy chairman, Hassan Rizg, in which he blamed the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) for the collapse of peace talks on the conflict in Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

The government-sponsored Sudan Media Centre (SMC) website had quoted Rizg this week as saying that the SPLM-N has no desire to arrive at an agreement and blamed them for the failure of the latest round of talks.

According to the SMC, Rizg said that the SPLM-N’s lack of seriousness and mixing of issues was the biggest obstacle that led to this outcome, accusing their negotiating team of maneuvering and seeking to strengthen its position by involving the Darfur issue into the negotiation agenda.

He added that foreign pressures exerted on the SPLM-N diverted the path of negotiations and prevented the latter from achieving of final agreement with the government.

However, the RNM issued a statement on Wednesday dismissing the SMC’s report as a hoax, saying Rizg did not make any such remarks.

“This report was meant to deceive the public and the person who wrote it should provide evidence that Rizg made these statements,” that statement said, adding that Rizg does not lack the courage to level accusations against any party.

(ST)