Al-Bashir, Museveni discuss South Sudan peace process

September 5, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni Wednesday discussed the South Sudan peace process in a meeting held on the sidelines of the China-Africa cooperation forum in Beijing.

The meeting dealt with the progress achieved in the negotiations to revitalize the agreement for peace in the Republic of South Sudan, which was initialled by the parties, said the official news agency SUNA.

Also “they discussed the arrangement for a summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to sign the final agreement,” further said the report.

Al-Bashir and Museveni who are the guarantors of the Khartoum Round of talks need to persuade President Salva Kiir to accept a proposal they mediators made to settle the disagreement on the number of states.

His delegation refused a proposal providing ask the South Sudanese to choose between the 10 and the 32 states after reviewing the tribal borders.

The opposition groups said they would not sign the final document of the revitalized peace agreement if Juba continues seeking to maintain the 32 states. They, also, want the permanent constitution to be made by the national constitutional conference and rectify the quorum of government and parliament meetings.

The IGAD foreign ministers have to meet before the meetings of the United Nations General Assembly. They are expected to submit a series of recommendations for the IGAD leaders who will meet in Khartoum.

No date has been yet determined for the IGAD meetings.

Al-Bashir further briefed Museveni on the recent Russian-Sudanese initiative for peace in and reconciliation in the Central African Republic.

(ST)