Sudan voices reservations over AU report on S. Kordofan

June 27, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s first vice-president, Bakri Hassan Saleh, on Friday has expressed reservations about a report on the humanitarian situation in South Kordofan and Blue Nile to the 23rd African Union Summit in Malabo.

“The situation in the Blue Nile state is quiet and it did not witness any clashes and civilians did not experience any humanitarian suffering. In addition, South Kordofan state is stable, as the security forces and some citizens managed to prevented uncontrolled elements from terrorising civilians,” said Saleh according to the official SUNA.

Saleh who led Sudan’s delegation o the summit in Malabo further said told the African leaders that his government pays high attention to the humanitarian situation in the Two Areas, in line with the agreements signed with the UN agencies.

The African Union did not release its report to the summit mentioned in Sudanese statement.

The AU Peace and Sceuriy Council (AU PSC) tasked since three year the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) headed by the former South African president Thabo Mbeki of mediating the conflict.

The 15-member African body also in its different reports and statements urged the two warring parties in the Two Areas to allow humanitarian access to the affected civilians in the rebel controlled areas and to reach an agreement on the three-year conflict.

The Sudanese first vice-president told the summit that the peace talks are impeded by the SPLM-N’s rejection of a draft framework agreement proposed by the AUHIP. He reiterated the readiness of the government negotiating team to resume peace talks with the rebels.

He further said that, until the resumption of the stalled talks, his government is willing to cooperate with all the humanitarian actors working in the Two Areas to facilitate the delivery of relief to civilians according to the agreed tripartite mechanism.

Saleh also urged the AUPSC, when it come to adopt the final version of its report, to take into consideration the fact that the rebels did not implement the humanitarian agreement brokered by the tripartite mechanism and also rejected to allow a campaign to immunize children against polio there.

The SPLM-N, which calls for a comprehensive solution to the armed conflicts in Sudan, rejects the AUHIP draft framework agreement for peace talks with the Sudanese government saying it limits the negotiations to the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

In return, the rebels propose to unify the two tracks for peace in Darfur and the Two Areas. They also propose to hold a national constitutional conference including opposition parties.

But Khartoum rejects the rebel roadmap, saying the talks should remain brokered by the existing forums, in Doha for Darfur, and Addis Ababa for the Two Areas.

The government also says the national dialogue process should be held inside the country without any international intervention, as the rebels demand the inclusion of AU and UN envoys in the process.

Last Thursday, president Omer al-Bashir warned the opposition parties against seeking any alliance with the rebel groups.

(ST)