Al-Mahdi calls for UN resolution on implementation of Sudan Roadmap Agreement

January 8, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sadiq al-Mahdi, the leader of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) has called on the United Nations to pass a resolution requiring the Sudanese government to implement the confidence building measures included in the African Union Roadmap Agreement.

The government and Paris Call forces (the armed group s and the NUP) signed in March and August 2016 the Roadmap Agreement brokered by the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) including several steps towards their participation in a national constitutional process inside Sudan.

However, the parties failed to sign a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian agreements that are seen crucial before to move forward in the roadmap implementation process. However, the government maintained its plans and held a dialogue conference and adopted a National Document including constitutional reforms and release of freedoms.

Sudanese government and allies pointed that the holdout groups can sign the outcome of the dialogue process (National Document) and participate in its implementation through the National Concordance Government and transitional parliament. The move is seen by the opposition group as clear violation of the Roadmap.

In a message of congratulations to the new United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres released on Sunday, NUP leader said Sudanese people look forward to a just and comprehensive peace and democratic reforms.

The former prime minister who is preparing to return to Sudan on 26 January after a two-year self-imposed exile in Cairo added that some stakeholders are deliberately blocking the path towards peace and democratic transformation.

“We look forward for the United Nations in coordination with the Peace and Security Council of the African Union to issue a resolution calling on the Sudanese stakeholders to commit themselves to implement the confidence building measures which are the cessation of hostilities, humanitarian access, guarantee of fundamental freedoms and the release of political detainees and prisoners,” he said.

During the past two years, al-Mahdi worked tirelessly to win the confidence of the armed groups and to bring them together with the other opposition groups in the Sudan Call alliance to accept the idea of a comprehensive national solution.

In his message, al-Mahdi pointed on the need to encourage the peace and democratic transformation process by recommending to write off Sudan’s debt, lift of sanctions and to review ways to achieve accountability in Sudan.

“In order to reach this successful outcome, the United Nations can recommend a foreign debt exemption, lifting of all sanctions, and a flexible approach to accountability as I proposed in 2011 to Mr. Hervé Ladsous the United Nations Under-Secretary-General in New York. His response then we will deal positively with the Sudanese people demands,” he said.

(ST)