Sudan’s ruling party welcomes proposed meeting with rebels in March
February 17, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has welcomed the invitation it received from the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP) to attend a strategic consultative meeting with the rebel groups in Addis Ababa between 16 to 18 March.
In a press statement seen by Sudan Tribune Wednesday, the NCP announced support for the government delegation which will participate in the proposed meeting, stressing its adherence to what it described as the “principled positions” and commitment to achieve peace and stability in South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur.
The NCP renewed support for the Doha and Addis Ababa peace talks forums, pointing to its positive and constructive engagement with all mediation mechanism during the past years.
The ruling party criticized the response of the SPLM-N to the AUHIP invitation for the consultative meeting, accusing it of insisting on the continuation of the war.
The SPLM-N Monday issued a statement accepting the invitation of the AUHIP to attend the proposed meeting, vowing to present a unified position for the “Sudan Call” forces after conducting the necessary consultations with its parties as well as consulting with the Reform Now Movement (RNM) led by Ghazi Attabani and the other forces of change.
The SPLM-N also underscored that the strategic consultative meeting wouldn’t be an alternative for the dialogue preparatory meeting which the government refuses to take part in it.
The NCP pointed that the national dialogue among all Sudanese is the best way to achieve “security, stability and prosperity for the Sudanese people”, vowing to continue the dialogue with the participating political forces and the others who wish to join the process.
The national dialogue conference was inaugurated in Khartoum on October 10th, 2015 amid large boycott from the major political and armed opposition.
Holdout opposition groups refuse to take part in the conference before the creation of a conducive environment and the implementation of specific confidence-building measures.
The statement further denounced attempts by some parties to subject the will of the Sudanese people to their narrow interests, pointing to what it claimed to be “abusive phrases” used in the SPLM-N statement to describe some political forces participating in the internal dialogue conference.
The ruling party expressed support for the efforts of Sudanese army and the other regular forces at the various warfronts to defend the sovereignty, stability and security of the country.
The Sudanese army has been fighting the SPLM-N rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states since 2011 and the armed movements in Darfur since 2003.
The latest round of talks in November 2015 between the Sudanese government and the SPLM-N and Darfur rebels have stalled over issues pertaining to the security, humanitarian and political arrangements.
As peace talks deadlocked, the Sudan Call forces including political and armed groups pledged to develop peaceful means to topple the regime and called to mobilize the Sudanese street.
Nonetheless, regional mediators and international facilitators continue their efforts to reach a compromise acceptable to all the parties to end the armed conflicts, open humanitarian access to the war affected areas and to hold an inclusive constitutional conference.
Also, in a recent meeting held in London, Sudan’s special envoys agreed on the need to encourage rebel groups to define clearly their objectives and to move forward a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian deals.
(ST)