Talks on cessation of hostilities in Sudan are delayed for mid-November : UN

October 28, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations announced Wednesday that the African Union mediated meeting between the Sudanese government and rebel groups have been adjourned to mid November .

Earlier this month, it was announced that Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North (SPLM-N) will meet in Addis Ababa on 2 November to resume discussions on a cessation of hostilities agreement in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

It was not clear if the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) of Gibril Ibrahim and the Sudan Liberation Movement – Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) will also hold separate takes with the government, in line with the African Union one-process-two tracks plan.

In a regular briefing to the United Nations Security Council about the situation in Darfur; Edmond Mulet said talks under the auspice of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) for a comprehensive truce between the warring parties in Darfur and the Two-Areas will debut two weeks later than previously announced.

“The AUHIP meeting on the National Dialogue followed by cessation of hostilities talks on Darfur and the Two Areas which were initially scheduled for next week are now expected to take place respectively in Addis Ababa on 16 to 17 and 18 to 19 November,” Mulet said.

Sudanese government recently announced a unilateral truce for two months and expressed readiness for a six-month cessations of hostilities. The Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) form its side, declared a six-month truce.

The SRF further declares its continued willingness to sit with the Government of Sudan under the auspices of the AUHIP to negotiate the details of the cessation of hostilities, including plans for monitoring and verification,” says the SRF in a statement released on 18 October 2015.

The end of hostilities is part of a roadmap aiming to create a conducive environment in the country allowing the rebel groups to participate in a comprehensive national dialogue process for peace and constitutional reforms in Sudan.

Earlier this week, the Sudanese president directed the national dialogue committee to meet the signatories of Paris Declaration, including the armed groups and the National Umma Party (NUP).

The inclusion of the NUP in the process is seen a gesture towards the largest opposition party but still it does not fit the AU roadmap which provides to hold a pre-dialogue meeting with the participation of all the opposition parties.

The two week-delay may intends to give the AUHIP more time to better organize the discussions and to avoid another failure like what happened in November 2014.

(ST)