Peace mediators to consult Sudan rebels on national dialogue: Arman

August 24, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan people’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) secretary-general dismissed statements by Sudanese officials about the resumption of peace talks in Addis Ababa, saying the mediation invited them for a consultations meeting on the national dialogue.

Yasir Arman was reacting to statements on Sunday by the spokesperson of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and state minister for information Yasir Youssef who called on the SPLM-N to join the negotiating table to end the conflict in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

Youssef pointed that Mbeki officially informed them that talks will kick off in late August or early September, underscoring their readiness to engage in this round of talks in order to bring the three-year conflict in to an end.

However, in statements to Sudan Tribune on Sunday evening Arman said that the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) received an invitation to meet the head of the AU High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) Tahbo Mbeki and the joint chief mediator for Darfur conflict, Mohamed Ibn Chambas.

“This is not accurate. We did not receive an invitation to any negotiations between the SPLM-N and the Sudanese government,” said Arman. He added the talks on a framework agreement should have been held a long time ago, “but the Sudanese government betted on the military option against the SPLM”.

“What is at stake now is the comprehensive solution,” said the head of the SPLM-N negotiating team. “Partial solutions will not benefit Sudan and will not solve the issue of war,” he further stressed.

Mbeki and Chambas said they would synchronise their efforts to bring an end to the ongoing wars in Sudan. Also, it was reported that they would fly soon to Doha to consult with the Qatari officials on ways to involve the rebels in the national dialogue process.

On the other hand, Sudanese presidential assistant Ibrahim Ghandour told Sudan Tribune last Friday in Berlin that if they fail to sign separate peace agreements with rebel groups in Darfur and the Two Areas, they will invite them the support of mediators to join the internal process in order to reach a peace agreement within the framework of the national dialogue.

Sudanese government officials say they are very serious in their call for a national dialogue inside the country with the participation of all the political parties and rebel groups.

Arman expressed the SRF readiness to stop war in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile and to focus on ways to reach an inclusive and comprehensive peace agreement in Sudan.

(ST)