South Sudanese envoy in Khartoum for talks over political crisis
January 6, 2022 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s presidential envoy arrived Thursday in the Sudanese capital Khartoum in a bid to promote dialogue between the Sudanese parties to end the current political crisis after the resignation of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.
Presidential Advisor for Security Affairs Tut Gatluak accompanied by the Director-General of the Internal Bureau of the National Security Services travelled to Sudan on Thursday.
Before taking off, Gatluak told the Sudan Tribune on Thursday that he will discuss ways to enhance stability in Sudan, pointing to its strategic importance to South Sudan and the region.
He added that President Salva Kiir was dedicated to sending a message to encourage dialogue among the Sudanese political leaders and actors as the only viable option to resolving political differences.
“This message affirms the dedication of the President to ensuring peace and stability prevail in Sudan because a peaceful and stable Sudan is the aspirations of the Sudanese people and the region”, he stressed.
The Sovereign Council in Khartoum said that Gatluak would meet Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his Deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. But it is not clear if he would meet the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC).
The presidential adviser said one of the priorities of the delegation was to go listen from the Sudanese leaders and political actors and help create opportunities for dialogue and cooperation.
“When brothers are discussing something of national importance, they do not shut doors for others to observe and to step in where it is necessary. We do not doubt the ability of the Sudanese leaders to resolve their differences, but we believe our efforts would reinforce and supplement their efforts. this is very important, and it is a message which has been delivering to them from the time we started engaging with them”, he said.
Observers in the region say that South Sudan, which has brokered the Juba peace process to end armed conflicts in Sudan, can play an important role to settle the ongoing crisis in the absence of the regional efforts due to the al-Burhan refusal of the African Union and IGAD offers to mediate a dialogue between the Sudanese parties.
Security talks
The South Sudanese delegation includes Governor of Unity State, Joseph Monytuil, and the Director of Military Intelligence Stephen Marshal.
The fact that all the delegation members are all security officials including Gatluak himself bring some observers to believe that the talks will deal with the security situation in the border area after the recent attacks by a splinter faction of the SPLM-IO with the forces loyal to Vice-President Riek Machar in the Unity State.
Sudan is mediating talks between the South Sudanese government and this rebel faction but the coup d’etat in Khartoum stopped the negotiations.
Multiple sources at the foreign ministry in Juba and in the office of President Kiir confirmed to the Sudan Tribune that the delegation would also discuss the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement in South Sudan and the Juba peace deal.
(ST)