Addis Ababa meeting to discuss rebels participation in Sudan’s dialogue: official
November 11, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – A senior Sudanese official said the meeting with rebel movements next week will be confined to discussing the guarantees for the participation of the rebel leaders in the internal dialogue which was commenced on October 10th.
The head of Darfur peace implementation follow-up office and government chief negotiator with Darfur rebels, Amin Hassan Omer said that Addis Ababa meeting is not a conference or a forum but a meeting to discuss a specific and clear agenda with the other parties.
He told the pro-government Sudan Media Centre (SMC) Wednesday that the meeting only pertains to the required guarantees for the rebel leaders’ entry and exit from Sudan.
The opposition groups call to hold an inclusive pre-dialogue meeting to discuss a number of confidence building measures such as the humanitarian access to the rebel held areas, political freedoms and release of political detainees and prisoners.
According to the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) which mediate the two tracks process, a mini preparatory meeting including the Khartoum, National Umma Party and Sudanese Revolutionary Front should take place following the separate talks with the armed groups on the cessation of hostilities.
Omer further pointed that the meeting with the Darfur rebels in Addis Ababa would be confined to the discussion of issues contained in the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).
The Sudanese government rejects any peace talks with the rebel groups in Darfur, saying the DDPD proposes a set of solution for the conflict.
He stressed that the cessation of hostilities is linked to the ceasefire as they are part of the security arrangements. He added that “some people” see that the ceasefire is limited to the establishment of a commission and of provision of monitors.
Omer was alluding to the government demand that the security arrangements include a disarmament, demobilisation reintegration process, and this process should be implemented for all the rebel groups.
The NCP official pointed out that the AU absence from the dialogue conference was not because it rejects the conference, saying the AU commissioner apologized for being unable to attend the opening session for personal reasons.
The government-led national dialogue conference was inaugurated in Khartoum on October 10th amid large boycott from the major political and armed opposition.
Also, no representatives from regional and international bodies involved in Sudan’s peace process were among the attendees including the AU, Sudan troika and the European Union (EU).
The internal process is seen incomplete by the international community as it only include the ruling party, its allied parties and the opposition Popular Congress Party.
(ST)