South Sudan obstructs efforts for peace in Sudan: official

March 8, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese government has renewed its accusations against the neighbouring South Sudan, saying its continual harbouring of rebel groups remains the “biggest obstacle” to regional and international efforts for peace in Sudan.

During the past months, South Sudanese officials including the Defence Minister Kuol Manyang Juuk repeated that all the Sudanese armed groups had left the country. However, Sudanese officials continue to claim that the South Sudanese army (SPLA) and its top command continues to protect them and provide support.

“One of the biggest obstacles to peace (in Sudan) is the presence of rebel movements in the Republic of South Sudan, where they find shelter and continuous support from the government there,” said Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary Abdel-Ghani al-Nai’m in a statement released on Wednesday.

Al-Nai’m made his remark after a meeting with UK Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Christopher Trott, who seeks to facilitate the African Union-led process to end the armed conflicts in Sudan.

Khartoum and Juba trade regularly accusations of support to rebel groups despite the signing of a security agreement between the two countries in September 2012 and the several implementation deals in this respect.

The Sudanese diplomat further asked the British envoy to persuade the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement to accept an American humanitarian proposal, sign a cessation of hostilities and to negotiate a peace agreement with the government.

Last February, the Troika countries: Norway, U.K. and U.S. urged the (SPLM-N) “to swiftly accept this proposal and facilitate the delivery of life-saving assistance to those in need in the Two Areas”. However, the SPLM-N says they are awaiting the appointment of a new U.S. special envoy to discuss a number of counterproposals they made.

(ST)