Sudan’s al-Bashir renews calls for rebels to join peace efforts
October 1, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir has renewed calls to rebel groups to renounce violence stressing his government’s keenness to achieve comprehensive peace in the country.
Speaking before the National Legislature on Monday, al-Bashir said his government has been seeking to achieve peace, pointing to the national dialogue and the unilateral cessation of hostilities.
He pointed out that their goal is to reach a sustainable peace that could be reflected on the lives of the Sudanese people, saying maintaining security of the country and the people is a top priority for his government.
Al-Bashir also praised the success of the disarmament campaign, saying they would launch a national project to rebuild the Sudan Armed Forces to protect the country and maintain its sovereignty.
He further called on the international community to support Sudan’s efforts to combat illegal migration and human trafficking and to bear its responsibility towards the refugees.
The Sudanese army has been fighting the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) rebels in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan, also known as the Two Areas since 2011 and a group of armed movements in Darfur since 2003.
The talks with the SPLM-N groups to end the conflict in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states are stalled as the African mediators failed to bring the parties to sign a permanent ceasefire and to engage talks on the political issues.
Following the spilt of the SPLM-N in two factions, the mediation sought to hold peace talks between the group of Abdel Aziz al-Hilu and the government in vain.
For the other faction led by Malik Agar, the mediation deals with it within the framework of the Sudan Call opposition umbrella which includes armed groups from Darfur region and political parties.
Also, this process is impeded by the failure to reach a framework agreement for talks on Darfur conflict and the revitalization of a roadmap struck in August 2016 but no longer fits with the political developments.
(ST)