Gov’t, SPLM-N voice positions over Sudan process before strategic consultations
March 14, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – As the date of the Strategic Consultations Meeting is approaching, the government and the SPLM-N voiced their positions on the resumption of negotiations for peace and democratic reforms.
On the other hand, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North (SPLM-N) called on the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) to separate between the humanitarian and political process.
The government, the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) and three armed groups; SPLM-N, Sudan Liberation Movement – Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) will meet in Addis Ababa on 18 March to discuss the way forward to end armed conflicts and the participation of the holdout group in a national conference for a new constitution.
The invitation for the consultative meeting was already criticized by the parties for its ambiguity and lack of clarity. The government even issued conflicting statements on its participation as the opposition groups exchanged letters with the mediation over its purpose.
So, the former South African President and AUHIP chairman Mbeki will visit Khartoum two days before the meeting, to brief the Sudanese officials and discuss preparations for the meeting with the opposition groups.
The head of Darfur Peace Office and co-chief negotiator Amin Hassan Omer Monday , that Mbeki will clarify the purpose of the invitation adding they discuss with him “the future of negotiations and its prospects”.
In statements to the semi-official SMC, Omer further stressed that the agenda of the consultative meeting depends on the outcome of their discussions with the mediator.
The government last week announced its participation with two delegations one chaired by the Presidential Assistant Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid and the second is headed by Omer. The 18 March meeting seemingly will discuss the resumption of peace talks and the participation of Sudanese holdout opposition groups in the national dialogue which include government and some opposition forces.
SEPARATE HUMANITARIAN AND POLITICAL FILES
Efforts to end the nearly five-year conflict in South Kordofani and Blue Nile states failed to achieve any progress on the political file as the government says ready for discussions to implement the peace agreement of 2005 while the SPLM-N says they want a new process based on a comprehensive approach.
Also, there is no change in the positions of the warring parties on the humanitarian discussions. The government continues to deny humanitarian access to civilians in the rebel held areas, saying a political agreement will pave the way for humanitarian assistance to the war affected population.
The SPLM-N issued a statement Monday calling on the mediation to separate the humanitarian and political discussions and to focus on the first file. The rebel group further expressed readiness to resume discussions on this respect with the government.
“The SPLM-N is ready to take the Switzerland humanitarian agreement on the Nuba Mountains, which was sponsored by the U.S. government and Switzerland, as a basis to resolve the current impasse with regard to reaching an agreement on the humanitarian situation,” said the statement which refers to an agreement reached with the government on 19 January 2002.
The rebel group also reiterated readiness for an agreement “on multiple access points from inside and outside Sudan that would include Elobied, Kadugli and Damazen from inside and Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan from outside Sudan”.
The Sudanese government has refused the SPLM-N demand to bring the humanitarian aid directly from outside the Sudan. Khartoum also says the Sudanese aid workers should be involved in the distribution of the relief.
The government says not ready to repeat the previous humanitarian deals signed with the SPLM because the rebels diverted it also to feed their troops.
In return, the SPLM-N rejects the presence of Sudanese aid workers in the rebel controlled areas. They say they are infiltrated by the Sudanese security agents.
Recently international facilitators sought to convince the rebel group to give up on their demand for the transportation of food from outside Sudan.
“The SPLM-N is never wrong when doing the right things, and we will stick to the international humanitarian law even if others decide to abandon it,” said the statement.
SPLM PARTICIPATION IN THE DIALOGUE
The SPLM-N also reiterated that they would not join the ongoing dialogue process in Khartoum, saying they want a “credible” process in line with a road map endorsed by the African Union.
“The SPLM-N and the Sudan Call forces will never be included in the present first phase of the national dialogue that is cooked and controlled by the National Congress government whether they extended it for 1 month or 1,000 months,” said the statement.
During an informal meeting held in Germany last February, the Sudanese government refused a proposal calling to conclude the current dialogue conference in Khartoum and to launch a second phase with the participation of the holdout groups.
(ST)