Sudanese government says ready to resume peace talks with SPLM-N
January 30, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese government reiterated its willingness to resume peace talks with the Sudan people’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) despite the failure of a recent round of inform discussions in Germany.
Osman stressed his government’s readiness to resume negotiations if the SPLM-N backs away from its intransigent positions, pointing out that the rebel group used to repudiate the agreements reached in previous rounds of talks.
“This is the round number 12 in terms of negotiating with the SPLM-N, but the door is open whenever it has changed its agenda and called for negotiations according to the agreed terms,” he further said.
After an informal meeting in Berlin on 222-23 January, the government and SPLM-N delegations traded accusations over the collapse of the meeting.
The government said the SPLM-N abandoned previous understandings reached during the first round of informal talks in December including the integration of the rebel fighters in the national army during the interim period and participation of the SPLM-N in the internal national dialogue conference.
On the other hand, the SPLM-N argued that Khartoum rejects the pre-dialogue meeting and the inclusion of the holdout opposition groups in the process as provided in the African Union roadmap. They also said they want a comprehensive humanitarian cessation of hostilities in the Two Areas and Darfur.
Analysts say the failure of the four-year process to end the conflict van be explain by the contrast in the positions of the two warring parties.
While Khartoum seeks a solution based on the 2005 peace agreement to the conflict in the two areas, the SPLM-N wants a new political settlement affecting the Islamic project of Bashir’s regime.
The rebels say the 2005 deal was designed to end the conflict in southern Sudan, and now they want a solution for the whole Sudan but not for a specific region.
(ST)