Sudan rejects demands to limit talks with SPLM-N on humanitarian issues
February 7, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese presidential aide and chief negotiator rejected rebels demand to focus on humanitarian issues, saying they want a solution for the root causes of the conflict in the Two Areas.
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement secretary-general, Yasir Arman stated last month they are ready to meet Sudanese government in a new round of talks scheduled for 13 February. He said they want the end of humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan, and a comprehensive political solution with the participation of all political forces and civil society groups.
“We’re going to (Addis Ababa) for a solution for the root causes of the conflict and not to address its symptoms,” said presidential assistant Ibrahim Gandour in statements to the official news agency SUNA on Friday morning.
Gandour further stressed they “are only interested by what is established by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel” which confirmed that the discussions will include political, humanitarian and security matters in line with its mandate and UN resolution 2046 (2012).
In April 2013, the two delegations failed to agree on the agenda of the talks as the SPLM-N demanded to allow humanitarian access to the civilians affected by the conflict in the rebel held areas.
Khartoum, which claims that the rebels will benefit also from such humanitarian assistance, proposed to negotiate a political agreement saying it would resolve all the problems in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.
The two parties failed twice to implement humanitarian agreements they negotiated brokered by UN agencies, African Union and Arab League.
The SPLM-N rebels refuse separate talks to resolve the armed conflicts in Darfur region and the two southern Sudan states and demand an unified peace process.
Khartoum, in the past, refused to negotiate with the rebels on the basis of a framework agreement reached on 28 June 2011, as it is provided in the decisions of the African Union and UN Security Council. However recently the government accepted it.
(ST)