Sudan’s president extends cessations of hostilities for one month
January 1, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – President Omer Hassan al-Bashir declared a one-month cessation of hostilities and renewed his call for the armed groups to join the national dialogue process.
Speaking on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the independence on Thursday 31 December, al-Bashir said this decision comes within the framework of the government efforts to bring the holdout groups to the national dialogue process which he extended for one month last week.
“I am pleased to announce the government’s decision to extend the cease-fire for another month and I renew call to arms bearers to listen to the voice of reason and to join peace and the national dialogue which is run by a pure Sudanese will,” he said.
On 22 September 2015, the Sudanese president issued a republican decree declaring a truce for two months and granted general amnesty for the armed movements that would join in the national dialogue conference which started on 10 October.
However, after the failure of the 10th round of peace talks in Addis Ababa last November the Sudanese army officials declared the resumption of military operations against the rebels in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.
The government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) are expected to meet this January in a second round of informal discussions under the auspices of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) in Addis Ababa.
Sources close to the file of negotiations said the first meeting held last December was positive, because it gave the two parties for the first time the opportunity to discuss openly the pending issues and to understand the positions of each other.
Observers point that the second round could enable the two parties to draft some understandings on the national dialogue, the cessation of hostilities and the humanitarian access.
In a statement issued on the occasion of Sudan’s Independence Day, the SPLM-N leader Malik Agar reiterated their demand for a comprehensive solution in Sudan and denied reports about an agreement reached with Khartoum last December.
“I would like here to restate the position of the movement on the peaceful settlement, that the SPLMN will not sign any agreement that is not comprehensive involving all Sudanese stakeholders,” Agar said.
He further reassured the SPLM-N allies in the “Sudan Call” that these “false” reports meant for triggering a political rift between his movement and the opposition forces.
“This regime must stand to be transform, we must all put our acts together to bring about change,” he further stressed.
(ST)