Sudan instructs dialogue committee to delay visit to rebel prisoners

November 13, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese presidency has instructed the dialogue committee known as 7+7 to delay a planned visit to rebel convicts at Kober prison on Thursday.

The co-spokesperson of the 7+7 committee, Fadel Alsid Shuaib, said the committee secretariat had earlier made a request to the interior ministry through the presidency to arrange a visit for committee members to members of armed groups currently being held at Kober prison, adding that the presidency had approved the visit for Thursday.

He told Sudan Tribune that the presidency later asked the committee secretariat to delay the visit for further coordination and arrangement.

The official news agency SUNA said the visit has been delayed until later this month.

According to SUNA, a member of the delegation has attributed the delay to incomplete arrangements for the visit, saying the visit aimed at creating a conducive environment for the launch of comprehensive national dialogue.

The delegation includes four members from the government parties and similar number from opposition parties, including Hassan Osman Rizq, Aboud Jaber Saeed, Ahmed Saad Omer, Kamal Omer Abdel-Salam, Abdel-Malik al-Berair, Fadl al-Sid Shuaib, Adam Kibir and Adam Bashir.

Shuaib added that the dialogue’s subcommittee for creating conducive atmosphere for dialogue which is co-chaired by Aboud Jaber and Hassan Rizq was preparing to meet with the prisoners to discuss the national dialogue initiative prior to the meeting of the 7+7 committee with the rebel leaders in Addis Ababa next week.

“We decided to meet with rebel convicts and inform them that we will travel to meet with their leaders [in Addis Ababa]. I do not rule out that they have contacts with their leadership and they could have influence on the ongoing events. We want them to play a positive role in achieving comprehensive peace,” he added.

He disclosed that unofficial estimates put the number of rebel convicts currently being held in detention at 93, adding that the subcommittee had been commissioned to contact prison authorities to determine the exact number of prisoners.

Last week, the head of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), Thabo Mbeki, urged the 7+7 committee to meet with rebel groups in Addis Ababa and to persuade them to take part in the internal dialogue process.

Earlier this month, the second general assembly of the national dialogue endorsed an agreement on the national dialogue and constitutional process signed between the AUHIP and national dialogue subcommittee for external relations.

The African mediation signed the same deal, which calls for a comprehensive political solution in Sudan with the rebel groups.

(ST)