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Sudan Tribune

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Sudan rejects SPLM-N al-Hilu demand for self-determination

Abdel Aziz al-Hilu addressing the SPLM-N extraordinary conference held on 8-12 October (Photo SPLM-N)
Abdel Aziz al-Hilu addressing the SPLM-N extraordinary conference held on 8-12 October (Photo SPLM-N)

October 15, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s negotiating team Sunday said the future of talks with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) became unclear due to prohibitive demands and the rift within the latter.

The Sudanese army has been fighting the SPLM-N rebels in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan, also known as the Two Areas since 2011.

The SPLM-N is now divided into two factions: one led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu and the other led by Malik Agar. The rift emerged several months ago over the right of self-determination and other organisational issues.

The SPLM-N al-Hilu concluded Thursday its Extraordinary General Conference held in the Nuba Mountains area of South Kordofan state from 8 to 12 October.

The conference reaffirmed al-Hilu’s faction demand for self-determination saying it should be the basis of a negotiated solution to establish the New Sudan.

However, the semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) Sunday quoted a member of the government negotiating team Abdel-Rahman Abu Median as saying the Movement has exaggerated its demands.

He pointed that Sudan, African mediation and the international community won’t accept al-Hilu’s faction demands, saying they would adhere to the framework agreement signed with the SPLM-N negotiating team headed by Yasir Arman.

The government and the opposition Sudan Call alliance including the SPLM-N 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.

The Roadmap agreement didn’t include the right for self-determination as a basis for the peace talks on the Two Areas.

Last month, the African Union representative in Khartoum, Mahmoud Kan told SMC that the SPLM-N al-Hilu in a recent meeting with the AUHIP explained its position on the self-determination reiterating its commitment to the unity of Sudan.

(ST)

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