Sudan urges AUHIP to put more pressures on holdout groups

March 31, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese government on Thursday called on the international community to increase pressure on the holdout groups to sign the Roadmap Agreement brokered by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP).

Sudanese Presidential Assistant, Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid, Thursday met with the visiting AUHIP delegation headed by Abdel Gader Mohamed. The meeting discussed the ongoing efforts to hold an inclusive dialogue by bringing the opposition groups to the negotiating table.

Also, they are expected to reach opposition Future Forces of Change (FFC) that accepted to engage discussions with the national dialogue coordination committee on how they can join the conference launched by the President Omer al-Bashir in October 2015.

Hamid who is the deputy chairman of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and government chief negotiator for the talks with the SPLM-N told the delegation that he looks forward to the signing of the framework agreement by the opposition forces to end war and the suffering of the affected civilians in the Two Areas.

He “praised the AUHIP for the role played to reach the Roadmap Agreement and pointed to the support of the relevant regional and international organizations. He called on the international community to exert more pressure on the armed movements to join the peace process,” said a statement released by the ruling party.

The roadmap which is signed on 21 March 2016, says the government and four opposition groups have to hold discussions on a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access to the war areas in South Kordofan, Blue Nile states and Darfur region.

The participants at the meeting from the opposition side , SPLM-N, Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Minnawi, Justice and Equality Movement and National Umma Party refused to sign the text pointing that it acknowledges the government process as a basis for the constitutional conference. In addition, they demanded to involve other opposition groups in the consultations.

The agreement is supported by the African Union and the United Nations. Also, international facilitators sought to convince the opposition groups particularly, the SPLM-N, saying the end of war should be the priority.

During a visit to the SPLM-N controlled areas after the failure of Addis Ababa consultations meeting , the Secretary General and chief negotiator Yasir Arman briefed the SPLA-N military command about the outcome of the talks and held public meetings to explain the group’s position.

Arman further blamed the mediation, saying it desisted from its role by endorsing the government position. He stressed that their position is irreversible.

(ST)