AUHIP chief declines to negotiate supplemental agreement with Sudan Call groups
June 23, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The head of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) has declined a proposal by Sudanese opposition groups to negotiate a supplemental document to the Roadmap Agreement which is already signed by the government last March.
Following a meeting in Addis Ababa with the U.S. Special Envoy Donald Booth on 18 June, the opposition groups said they would hand over a supplemental document to Mbeki and vowed to reconsider their rejection of the Roadmap if he accepts it to ensure that the Roadmap becomes a gateway to an equal, serious and fruitful dialogue.
In his reply to the opposition groups on 20 June, the chief mediator said in his quality as facilitator he cannot hold such negotiations with any of the Sudanese parties.
” As a Facilitator the AUHIP cannot and will not enter into any Memoranda of Understanding with any of the Sudanese Parties,” said Mbeki in his letter to al-Mahdi seen by Sudan Tribune.
“It is also important to understand that any further negotiations concerning the Roadmap Agreement should be between these Parties, not the AUHIP,” he underlined.
The chief mediator said he forwarded the proposal to the Sudanese government and requested its response.
“We will therefore revert to you as soon as possible,” he concluded.
Since, several Sudanese government officials voiced the rejection of the additional document, urging the opposition groups to sign Roadmap Agreement.
Also, the American Administration which seeks to bring the warring parties to end hostilities and to allow humanitarian access, welcomed the unilateral truce declared by the Sudanese government and urged the armed groups to sign the Roadmap.
UN CHIEF WELCOME UNILATERAL TRUCE
The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon Thursday welcomed Khartoum announcement of a four-month unilateral cessation of hostilities in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.
Also, he welcomed a six-month unilateral cessation of hostilities declared by the Sudan Revolutionary Forces in the Two Areas and Darfur on 28 April 2016.
“These commitments should ease the suffering of the people living in the affected areas. The Secretary-General urges the parties to allow and facilitate urgently needed humanitarian access to these areas,” he said.
The UN chief further repeated his call for the opposition groups to sign the African Union facilitated Roadmap Agreement ” and to continue talks with the Government of Sudan and other parties engaged in dialogue inside Sudan”.
The opposition groups say they want more confidence building measures to be included in the Roadmap Agreement, point to the lack of freedoms and the continued detention of political prisoners and detainees.
(ST)