Khartoum extends national dialogue process
February 18, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The national dialogue coordination committee known as (7+7) Wednesday agreed to extend the political process for an unlimited time and called on the holdout groups to join the political process.
In a press conference held on Thursday, Sudanese presidential assistant Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid announced the extension of the national dialogue process for unspecified time.
“The dialogue will continue until the completion of its stages and achievement of its goals, because it is one of the largest national projects in the country since independence,” Hamid told reporters after a meeting of the 7+7 mechanism.
The presidential aide who is also the chief negotiator for peace talks with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement- North (SPLM-N), said efforts will continue to convince armed movements to take part in the dialogue and announced that three factions from North Darfur joined the process.
However, Hamid slammed the SPLM-N saying they do not believe in peace or dialogue.
“The crisis is still ongoing and affecting citizens, because they use human life to realize their personal interests as evidenced by the statement issued after the invitation of the African Union mediation mechanism in the sixth paragraph which is a clear call for war.”
The Sudanese official was referring to a statement the SPLM-N issued last Monday welcoming an invitation to participate in a meeting next March including the SPLM-N, two Darfur groups, National Umma Party and the Sudanese government to discuss the national dialogue process.
In the mentioned paragraph the rebel group vowed to resist the summer military campaign on their positions in the Two Areas, regardless of these (AU) meetings and to work for the escalation of the mass movement towards the popular uprising, in order to bring the regime to accept a comprehensive solution in Sudan.
On Wednesday, the ruling National Congress Party issued a statement welcoming the invitation, but latter on the party cancelled the statement and it was rumoured that the presidential assistant had not been consulted before its issuance.
Fadl al-Sayed Shoaib, a member of dialogue body told reporters that they would invite diplomatic missions to visit the dialogue premises to brief them about the process.
Regarding the African Union’s invitation for the government to meet the signatories of Addis Ababa declaration on the dialogue national, Shoaib said they are not concerned by this meeting.
However, he added that anything pertaining to the dialogue process should be done through the coordination committee.
The political forces participating in the dialogue process are opposed to the efforts of the African mediation to hold a preparatory meeting with the opposition parties but accept such meeting with the rebel groups.
(ST)