Sudan, SPLM-N trade accusations over stalled talks on Two Areas
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
November 14, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – As a new round of peace negotiations enter its third day in Addis Ababa on Friday, the Sudanese government and rebels of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) accused each other of hampering the peace process over the Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
After the end of a meeting on Friday evening, SPLM-N chief negotiator Yasir Arman accused the government delegation of dragging the talks in attempts to derail the recently achieved political developments.
“We came here with an open heart and mind to this round of talks but the Sudanese government is not serious with efforts of the African Union, the AUHIP, the Sudanese people and the SPLM-N” Arman said.
He told Sudan Tribune that the head of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), Thabo Mbeki, handed over new proposals taking into account the political developments and suggested to include it in the framework agreement submitted to the negotiating parties last April.
According to Arman, the AUHIP proposals include the Agreement on national Dialogue and Constitutional Process signed by the national dialogue mechanism (7+7) and the Sudanese Revolutionary Forces and the National Umma Party. It also include the establishment of two tracks in one peace process: one for Darfur region and the other for the SPLM-N in order to reach a cessation of hostilities.
“These additions are important and contribute to hold a comprehensive constitutional process with the participation of all the Sudanese parties,” he said.
Arman further accused the government army of bombing on Friday civilians Yabos area in Blue Nile state where 8 children and women were killed. He added that seven civilians died in another raid in Haiban area in South Kordofan last week.
However, he reiterated their readiness to continue the negotiations based on the propositions made by the AUHIP mediators.
“We want a comprehensive solution, we want the government stops the ongoing preparations for the general elections of April 2015, until the formation of a transitional government including all the political forces,” he said.
The two delegations will resume discussions on Saturday morning as the chief mediator Mbeki is expected to hand over new proposals that might bridge the gaps.
From his part, the head of the Sudanese government negotiating team, Ibrahim Ghandour, accused the SPLM-N of stalling the negotiations, saying that Arman spoke about anything except the subject of the talks which is ending war in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.
“We were surprised that he presented us a paper consisting of seven points talking about the agreement of the 7 +7 committee and Paris group (with African machinegun), the postponement of the elections, a cease-fire in Darfur but they did not talk about the issue of the Two Areas,” Ghandour told reporters.
The presidential assistant stressed that they come to Addis Ababa for the issues of the Two Area only and they will not discuss any other issues. He added that the discussions should resume from where they stopped last April, to address the three humanitarian, political and security issues:
He went further to say that there is a platform for Darfur conflict, pointing that the government does not represent the national dialogue mechanism.
This and the government delegation did not want to compromise on the paper for mediation and asked for more time to study it, and it was considered in the paper brokerage harmonic at a meeting held at ten in the morning on Saturday to postpone the hearing.
The government delegation did not yet respond to the AUHIP propositions asking for more time to study it.
(ST)