Sudanese government mulls Mbeki‘s proposals for peace process
January 4, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Khartoum is studying proposals from the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) on a draft framework agreement aiming to end hostilities in the Two Areas and involve the rebels in national dialogue process.
Sources close to the file, disclosed to Sudan Tribune that the government formed three commissions to mull over the propositions Mbeki made over the outstanding issues.
The SPLM-N Sunday met with Mbeki and requested him to seek the implementation of a roadmap endorsed by the African Union Peace and Security body and accepted by the government.
In accordance with the peace plan, the warring parties will stop hostilities and negotiate security arrangements after what the government and rebels will join the other political forces in a preparatory meeting for the dialogue process which will be held inside Sudan.
However, during the talks the government negotiating team declined to discuss ways to link the talks on the South Kordofan and Blue Nile state with the national dialogue process.
The government said the framework agreement should limit the discussion to the Two Areas while the rebels said it is important to pave the way for the national agenda. Already the issue was one of the matters that foiled a previous framework agreement inked on 28 June 2011.
The sources say the mediation proposed to include other matters in the framework agreement, stressing that the AUHIP besides its initial mandate on the post Comprehensive Peace Agreement issues is also tasked with the facilitation of the national dialogue.
It was also disclosed that the mediation proposed a self-rule for the Two Areas, a demand that Khartoum vigorously rejected last November when the SPLM-N chief negotiator raised the matter during the last round of talks.
Following a meeting with the Sudanese president last week, Mbeki told reporters that Omer al-Bashir agreed to involve the rebels in the national dialogue process if the security talks achieve some progress.
A member of Khartoum negotiating delegation Hussein Karshoum, Wednesday said that the government will begin to study the paper received from Mbeki on Thursday.
In statements to the semi-official Sudanese Media Center, he pointed out that they stick to previous tracks of negotiations on political and security arrangements besides the humanitarian file.
He said that the African mediation strives to enhance opportunities for a successful deal in the upcoming round of talks, stressing their readiness to negotiate when the AUHIP determines a date for the resumption of negotiations.
Krashoum further emphasised that there is no room to combine the talks on the Two Areas and Darfur in one platform adding they have no common ground between the two conflicts.
(ST)