AU mediation rejects Sudan’s request to amend SPLM-N name

March 27, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – A leading figure at the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) Major General Jalal Tawur disclosed that the African Union (AU) mediation rejected a request made by the government’s delegation for negotiations with the Sudanese People Liberation Movement (SPLM-N) for deletion of the phrase “Sudan Liberation” from the name of the movement.

The mediation team lead by former South African president Thabo Mbeki responded by saying that denouncing the phrase “Sudan Liberation” implies non-recognition of the SPLM-N and asked the government’s delegation to “focus on positive things, considering that these people are Sudanese citizens”.

In a related issue Major General Mohammed Al-Abbas, a military expert, described the government’s decision to negotiate with the SPLM-N as a right decision, noting that the political and military situation makes it imperative to consider the negotiating process with an open eyes.

“If negotiations aren’t held soon, it would be impossible to negotiate in the future, therefore, we must focus on strategy otherwise defeat and loss of land will be the outcome” he said.

But political science professor at the University of Bahri Omer Abd Al- Aziz, asserted that negotiating with the SPLM-N is a mistake, pointing out that Sudan is facing threats which could only be confronted by consolidating the internal front and hence priority should be given to dialogue with all internal political forces.

Sudan has been strongly resisting regional and international pressure to negotiate with SPLM-N rebels calling its leaders outlaws and issuing arrest warrants for them. However, earlier this month Khartoum declared that it ready to negotiate with the SPLM-N but only based on the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

The SPLM-N fought alongside the South during its protracted civil war with the north, with conflict flaring in 2011 between Khartoum and rebels fighting for the removal of the Arab-dominated regime

South Sudan armed and trained SPLM-N when it was part of the South’s rebel force but maintains it cut all military ties before its independence in July 2011.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution issued in May 2012 ordered Sudan and the SPLM-N to cooperate in order to end the conflict in the two regions.

Under the resolution, the two parties are supposed to negotiate on the basis of the 28 June 2011 agreement they signed in Addis Ababa before it was scrapped by Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.

(ST)