Bashir says inclusive process is needed for lasting peace in S. Sudan
May 4, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir, Thursday, reiterated the need to stop the war in the restive country and to hold an inclusive process for a lasting peace in South Sudan.
Al-Bashir made his statement during a meeting with the chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), Festus Mogae, who briefed him about the implementation of the 2015 peace agreement.
In his speech at the JMEC plenary meeting on 26 April in Juba, Mogae said he was wondering how they can stop the war and starvation and how to hold inclusive process which is according to him is “the cardinal principle within which all dialogue and engagement must be seen”.
Following the meeting, Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said JMEC chairperson briefed President al-Bashir about the situation in South Sudan and the devastating impact of the war in the country including the famine that hits local population in several areas.
“The President, for his part, stressed the need to achieve peace in South Sudan saying that Sudan has a moral responsibility as the two countries were one country,” said Ghandour.
The foreign minister further said: “President al-Bashir emphasised on the need to bring together the warring parties to end the war so that international and regional community provide humanitarian assistance to the war-affected civilians and stop the effects of the current famine”.
He added that the negotiated settlement can be reached “by considering a (new) political agreement or reviewing the previous political agreement (of August 2015) to achieve a lasting peace in South Sudan”.
Mogae told the JMEC plenary meeting in Juba that he met last month with the former First Vice President Riek Machar in Pretoria and discussed with them ways to hold an inclusive peace process.
“The message I conveyed to Machar was to renounce violence, declare a unilateral ceasefire and participate in the National Dialogue,” said the JMEC chairman.
(ST)