Government rejects opposition call for UN resolution over Sudan peace process

July 9, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government Thursday rejected a call by the National Umma Party (NUP) leader Sadiq al-Mahdi for a new peace process supported by a resolution from the United Nations Security Council under Chapter Seven.

On Wednesday, al-Mahdi accused the Sudanese government of killing the national dialogue and called on the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union to adopt a news peace process where the mediation is consolidated by including international partners. He also called to empower the mediators to judge the actions of the Sudanese antagonists .

Sudanese information minister and co-spokesperson of the national dialogue mechanism (7+7) Ahmed Balal rejected al-Mahdi’s proposal, saying it aims to subject the national dialogue to what he called an “international trusteeship”. He further warned that it internationalizes the issue of Sudan.

“The dialogue should be inside the country and gathers all the political forces without the intervention of any third party,” Bala stressed.

The minister further called on al-Mahdi to withdraw his proposal, adding that what is needed in such process is the full confidence of the Sudanese people but not the international will.

Al-Mahdi was supportive to the national dialogue initiative launched by president Omer al-Bashir in January 2014 and said it opens the door for a negotiated solution preventing the somalization of the country.

However, he turned his back on the internal process after his arrest several months after its launch and accused the government of killing the initiative by refusing to create a conducive environment and include the rebel groups.

On the other hand, the Islamist opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP) of Hassan al-Turabi joint the government in its refusal of the Mahdi’s call for a UNSC resolution .

“We’ve seen the experiences of the Security Council in Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Sudan as well in (Naivasha Agreement) that have torn Sudan and ignited the war in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile states,” said the PCP political secretary Kamal Omer.

He further added they reject Sadiq’s call for a UN resolution because the national dialogue is an inter-Sudanese process that should be supervised Sudanese people .

“We do not mind that the international community comes as a witness and observer for the national dialogue, but we do not accept other situations,” he said.

Last March, Turabi’s party declined an invitation by the African Union mediation team to participate in a preparatory meeting for the national dialogue scheduled for 30 and 31 March in Addis Ababa.

(ST)