Sudanese president expresses readiness to declare permanent ceasefire
October 10, 2015 (KHARTOUM)- Sudan’s president Omer al-Bashir has expressed willingness to develop the two-month cessation of hostilities he recently declared in South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur into a permanent ceasefire given that rebel groups show desire for achieving peace.
In his address before the opening session of the national dialogue conference on Saturday, al-Bashir pledged to implement the outcome of the conference, stressing the government wouldn’t close the door on the opposition forces that declined to participate in the conference.
“We didn’t and won’t shut the doors on those who [didn’t participate in the conference], our doors are open and our hands are extended to them, they are still the sons of the Sudan,” he added.
He said that he would like to the seize the opportunity to reiterate his desire to create the conducive climate to ensure the success of the dialogue, pointing to his recent decrees to pardon rebel leaders participating in the dialogue and to declare a two-month ceasefire in the war zones.
“If the other side [armed groups] shows true commitment to cease hostilities, we will be ready to extend the [two-month] cessation of hostilities, perhaps making it a permanent cease fire if they choose peace over war and decide to return to Sudan to join the dialogue and become partners making a better future for the Sudan and it people,” he said .
The government on Thursday reiterated its refusal to sit outside the country with political parties which are authorized to exercise their activities inside the country.
Bashir renewed his directives to the federal and regional authorities across Sudan to enable the political parties and the civil society organizations to carry out their peaceful political activities without conditions, saying those activities support the dialogue not hindering it.
He also instructed the media and the press to promote the freedom of expression in order to allow the Sudanese people to participate in ensuring success of the dialogue without restrictions except the professional norms, provisions of the law and “the noble Sudanese ethics”.
The Sudanese president added that he instructed the competent authorities to release any political prisoner who is not convicted in public or private right criminal charges.
He renewed his readiness and commitment to allow the rebel groups to participate in the dialogue whenever they decide to join it, pledging to offer them the necessary guarantees to come to Khartoum to take part in the dialogue and return whenever they deem it.
The Sudanese president also thanked the African Union (AU) for welcoming, supporting and seeking to ensure the success of the dialogue through the AU High Implementation Panel (AUHIP) headed by Thabo Mbeki.
despite its refusal for the inclusive pre-dialogue meeting proposed by the African Union Peace and Security Council, multiple sources say preparations are taking place to hold a meeting in order to allow the rebel groups to join the internal dialogue. No details are yet disclosed about who will participate in the discussions but different international facilitators reached Khartoum recently on this respect.
The Sudanese president renewed his call for those whom he described as “sceptics” to catch up with the dialogue, saying the goal of the dialogue conference is to formulate a vision for the future of the Sudan through deliberating six issues including peace, economy, identity, governance, freedoms and foreign relations.
The armed and political opposition groups have boycotted the conference which kicked off Saturday saying the government should implement an AU road map to facilitate the process and participate in pre-dialogue meeting to be organised by the regional body at its headquarters in Addis Ababa.
The opening session of the conference was attended by the Chadian president Idriss Deby, the secretary general of the Arab League Nabil al-Arabi and the speaker of the Arab Parliament Ahmad Al-Jarwan while no representatives from the AU were among the attendees including the head of the AUHIP Thabo Mbeki.
DEBY HOPES FOR SUCCESSFUL DIALOGUE
In his remarks before the opening session of the dialogue, Chadian president stressed his full trust that the conferees would respond to the calls of the Sudanese people to achieve peace, stability and national reconciliation.
He urged the holdout groups to reverse their positions, pointing to the suffering of the Sudanese people from the prolonged wars and conflicts.
Deby noted that his country continued to receive large numbers of Sudanese refugees due to the conflict in Darfur, calling for the need to end the suffering.
He described the holding of the conference as “historic event” because it brought together adversaries from various political parties, adding it is being held inside Sudan not abroad which requires all participants to exert sincere efforts to achieve aspirations of the Sudanese people.
Chadian president said that national reconciliation requires patience, wisdom and perseverance, pointing the international community is hoping that the conference would achieve a political settlement that meets demands of all parties.
(ST)