Sudanese government and SPLM-N rebels may hold humanitarian talks soon – UN official
June 20, 2013 (WASHINGTON) – Sudanese government and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement –North (SPLM-N) may meet in Addis Ababa at the end of this month for discussions on humanitarian issues including a polio vaccination campaign, announced UN humanitarian official on Thursday.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator told reporters that the Sudanese officials told her and also informed the African Union high level panel that the government is prepared to allow “cross line” operation into the SPLM-N held areas. She underlined that the rebels want “cross border” humanitarian intervention.
“At the end of this month we hope to have discussions at least on this issue of vaccination campaign”, Amos said, adding that the SPLM-N indicated their willingness to attend this meeting to talk about some of the modalities and technicalities related to this campaign.
“We are waiting now to hear from the government about that”, she further said.
Earlier this month, SPLM-N secretary general Yasir Arman said in a statement extend to Sudan Tribune he had discussed the campaign with Amos, and reaffirmed their commitment to this operation which targets some 150,000 children under five years in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
He however demanded one-week cessation of hostilities and expressed their readiness for discussion on the “the modalities of bringing the logistics of the campaign from a location that is agreed to by the two parties”.
Arman further renewed the SPLM-N’ rejection to allow Sudanese workers of the government Humanitarian Action Commission (HAC) to participate in this campaign and proposed to involve SPLM-N humanitarian teams.
The SPLM-N says the HAC is infiltrated by the agents of Sudanese intelligence service and they do not trust them for this reason.
The government and the SPLM-N signed last year a tripartite humanitarian operation but they failed to implement it due to the mistrust between the two parties. The government, on the other hand, says the rebels will divert the humanitarian aid and insists to participate in the distribution of humanitarian aid.
Amnesty international in a recent report (War had no time to bury them, war crimes in Sudan’s Blue Nile state), accused the SPLM-N of diverting “a portion of humanitarian aid” from refugees camps in South Sudan to its fighters. The report also accused the rebel group of recruiting “young male refugees”.
When asked about these accusations, Amos said she cannot confirm it and added they need further details about these allegations.
The humanitarian official also said they received a proposal from the Sudanese Revolutionary Front, a coalition of rebel groups active in Blue Nile , South Kordofan states and Darfur region, to negotiate a “temporary cessation of hostilities” to help humanitarian workers reach civilians.
However she did not specify if this proposal is only for the Two Areas or include Darfur region. The rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) has moved important number of its fighters to South Kordofan where the Darfurian group clashes regularly with the Sudanese army.
Amos also told reporters that the humanitarian situation has improved in the government controlled area in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
She added the WFP scaled up food delivery in the two states as the UN Humanitarian Air Service resumed flights between Khartoum and Kadugli since 11 February.
(ST)