Mbeki to meet Bashir over peace in Sudan and relations with South Sudan

August 2, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The head of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) will start his talks with the Sudanese government officials by a meeting with President Omer al-Bashir on Monday.

Thabo Mbeki arrived Sunday in Khartoum where he is expected to discuss the resumption of peace talks with the Sudan People’s Liberation to end the ongoing conflict in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states. Besides the talks with two Darfur rebel groups and the national dialogue in Sudan.

However, the head of the African Union office in Khartoum Mahmoud Kan stated that the standing issues between South Sudan and Sudan in addition to the situation in South Sudan will also be discussed by Mbeki in his meeting with president al-Bashir.

This is the first of Thabo Mbeki to Sudan after the formation of the new government, Kan further told the semi-official SMC on Sunday adding that the meeting with al-Bashir will discuss issues related to the African Union and the region.”

Last April Mbeki suspended indefinitely a pre-dialogue process aiming to bring together the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and the political and armed opposition forces to discuss the preparation of the national dialogue which is to be held inside the country.

The suspension intervened following the refusal of the Sudanese government to take part in the preparatory meeting two weeks before the general elections. The NCP officials at the time said it would send a negative massage to the Sudanese voters.

Since, Khartoum said ready to participate in the meeting and informed the African Union that Mbeki is welcome to resume discussions with the government on the process.

(ST)