IGAD asks Bashir to facilitate resolution of S. Sudan conflict

May 24, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The East African regional bloc of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) requested Sudan’s president Omer al-Bashir to facilitate the ongoing efforts to end the inter-South Sudanese conflict.

Sudanese foreign minister Ali Karti disclosed Sunday that the Sudanese government accepted a demand by the regional body asking Bashir to be more involved in its efforts to bring peace in South Sudan as it prepares to launch a new mediation mechanism.

Karti who was speaking to reporters at Khartoum airport following a one-day visit by president Bashir to Qatar further said that the European Union and Norway asked to meet President Bashir for talks on the South Sudanese conflict.

The Sudanese top diplomat said Khartoum accepted the IGAD demand and vowed to undertake efforts in this respect after the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for June 2nd.

He also indicated that the European delegation will meet Bashir after this ceremony.

Sudan and Kenya are members of an IGAD mediation led by the Ethiopian envoy Seyoum Mesfin. However, Khartoum has kept a low profile fearing to be accused of interference in the South Sudanese affairs.

Following the collapse of the last round of talks in March 2015, IGAD decided to involve African Union, EU, UN Security Council and Troika countries in the mediation process which is labelled IGAD-Plus.

At the end of April Mesfin announced that Algeria, Chad, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa will be engaged in the peace process representing north, central, western, eastern and southern African regions, respectively.

Juba recently accused Khartoum of supporting the rebel SPLM-in-Opposition led by the former vice-president Riek Machar but the Sudanese government swiftly denied the accusation.

Sudanese foreign ministry spokesperson Ali al-Sadiq on Sunday vowed that his country would exert the necessary efforts to prevent further deterioration of the security situation in South Sudan, pointing it would help stop flow of new refugees.

“The stability of the South means stability of the situation in the North. It also means reducing the flow of southerners refugees and prevents any security threat to the country’s border with the South” he said.

Sadiq further stressed that his country has no interest to intervene militarily in South Sudan. But he expressed the readiness of his government to evacuate Sudanese from the neighbouring country if the security situation continue to worsen.

(ST)