SPLM-N’s acceptance of peace roadmap essential to resume Two Areas talks : Khartoum

June 19, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government on Sunday said the resumption of peace talks with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) on South Kordofan and Blue Nile is contingent upon the latter’s signing of the Roadmap Agreement.

Last March, the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) and the Sudanese government signed a framework agreement calling to stop war in Blue Nile, Darfur, and South Kordofan and to engage in the national dialogue process.

However, the opposition groups of the Sudan Call including the SPLM-N, Justice and Equality Movement, National Umma Party, SPLM-N, and Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi refused the roadmap saying it acknowledges a government controlled dialogue conference and would lead to reproduce the regime.

Government spokesperson for the Two Areas talks Hussein Hamdi said the “signing of the Roadmap is the key to make any breakthrough to achieve political settlement that leads to the national consensus”, calling upon opposition holdout to sign the peace plan and join the peace process.

He told the pro-government Sudan Media Center (SMC) that they didn’t receive any invitation to resume the talks, stressing that the government delegation is ready to engage in any negotiations once they receive an official invitation from the African mediation.

For his part, member of the government negotiating team Bishara Gumaa Aru said they wouldn’t participate in any talks unless the opposition holdout groups sign the roadmap as it offer an appropriate framework for negotiations with the SPLM-N.

He expressed optimism that the opposition would sign the peace plan as it was endorsed by the UN Security Council and the African Union.

Following a two-day meeting in Addis Ababa, the Sudan Call forces said they agreed to attach their views as an appendix to the roadmap before signing the document, pointing they would meet with the AUHIP chief Thabo Mbeki to convey to him their stance.

South Kordofan and neighbouring Blue Nile state have been the scene of violent conflict between the SPLM-N and Sudanese army since 2011.

Last December, negotiations between Khartoum the SPLM-N stalled after the government delegation insisted that the objective of talks is to settle the conflict in the Two Areas, while the SPLM-N team has called for a holistic approach to resolve ongoing conflicts across Sudan.

(ST)