Mbeki in Khartoum Monday to discuss consultative meeting outcome
March 20, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The head of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) Thabo Mbeki will return to Khartoum on Monday to brief the Sudanese government on the position of the holdout opposition groups on the national dialogue.
Sudanese government spokesperson Ahmed al-Balal Osman on Sunday told the semi-official SMC news service that Khartoum had given a Mbeki a number of proposals on how to involve the opposition groups in the national dialogue.
According to Osman, the government proposals have pointed that “the recommendations of the National Dialogue Committees accept additions and deletions and visions of others”.
He noted that they have confirmed the inclusion as terms of reference for the national dialogue of Addis Ababa Agreement signed in September 2014 by Ahmed Saad, and Ghazi Salah al-Din with the AHIP in the same terms as the armed groups and the National Umma Party.
The minister further reiterated the government desire to see the holdout opposition groups joining the dialogue process. However he confirmed that the government informed Mbeki about its refusal to negotiate with the internal political opposition forces outside the country.
“In case the holdout opposition groups accept these proposals, the government is willing to meet them in accordance with two options; either the dialogue mechanism (7 +7) or any other group chosen by the National Dialogue General Assembly,” he added.
SPLM-N Secretary General Yasir Arman Sunday accused the government of seeking to create two forums for the pre-dialogue process one outside Sudan with the rebel groups and the second with the political forces inside the country.
He further said all the opposition forces participating the Strategic Consultations Meeting rejected the government proposals and have demanded that the National Dialogue Preparatory Meeting be held in Addis Ababa with the participation of all the opposition forces.
Observers in the Sudanese capital pointed that Mbeki is keen to brief personally President Omer al-Bashir about the outcome of the meeting but also because he hopes to get some concessions from him.
During the opening session of the Strategic Consultations Meeting on Friday, Mbeki expressed his frustration towards the failure of the parties to achieve any progress and called them to innovate and make the necessary concessions.
(ST)