SPLM-N says Khartoum continues to obstruct POWs handover

May 5, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) accused the Sudanese government of delaying the handover of prisoners of war -POWs) that the rebel group decided to release since December last year.

Following political discussions with a group of former Sudanese combatants, Sa’ihoon, in December 2014 and in a gesture of goodwill, the SPLM-N decided to free 20 POWs. Also, the rebels handed a list including the names of the released prisoners to prepare the necessary procedures for the humanitarian operation.

A source close to the file in Khartoum said that presidential assistant Ibrahim Ghandour agreed on 29 April to allow an airplane of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to collect the POWs from the rebel areas. He further said that the two parties are discussing the itinerary flight .

However, a SPLM-N spokesperson Mubarak Ardol, said Khartoum government is still delaying the operation because it will have a positive impact about their group and prevent the government from misleading the Sudanese street.

” The obstacle hindering completion of this operation and preventing the handover of these prisoners and mining workers to their families is the government of Khartoum,” Ardol further stressed.

He added that the government still did not deliver the needed authorization to the Red Cross to carry out the transportation of the POWs to Addis Ababa before their return to Khartoum.

He called on Sa’ihoon and civil society group to put pressure on the government to issue this authorisation for the ICRC aircraft to fly to the rebel areas in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

He underscored that the government does not treat the imprisoned SPLM-N members as POWs but try them and many of them are missing.

(ST)