African mediators launch consultations on ways to amend Sudan’s roadmap
December 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) has started a series of meetings with the Sudanese parties to discuss ways to amend the Roadmap Agreement (RMA) for peace in Sudan.
But, the SPLM-N Agar warned that Khartoum has already bypassed the mediation’s proposal by adopting the electoral law.
In September 2018, the AUHIP called to review the roadmap which was signed by the government in March 2016 and the opposition alliance in August of the same year saying the conditions have changed after over two and half years.
The mediation said there would be no new national dialogue conference, and proposed that RMA signatories agree on a cessation of hostilities and a humanitarian access deal before to move directly the constitutional conference saying the “central goal remains reconstructing Sudan through a Constitution negotiated and agreed through an inclusive process”.
On Sunday, the AUHIP met with the Sudanese government delegation headed by Faisal Hassan Ibrahim to listen to their position and proposals on the amendment of the roadmap.
While the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led by Malik Agar (SPLM-N Agar) arrived in Addis from Juba, the other delegations of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement – Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) are expected to arrive on Monday and the National Umma Party (NUP) delegation led by Sadiq al-Mahdi may arrive on Tuesday.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the SPLM-N Agar called for a “credible national dialogue including all the political forces in the country saying the Roadmap should constitute its basis.
Ismail Jabal SPLM-N Agar Secretary-General further said the government has already adopted the election law, stressing this step jeopardizes the mediation plans to transform the national dialogue into constitutional dialogue.
“Passing the Electoral Law and the proposed constitutional amendments have damaged the political process and the most important, the constitution and the elections. What has happened has seriously damaged the AUHIP proposal,” he said in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Sunday.
Jalab further added that it would also deprive the constitutional process and the elections of their value “as mechanisms to achieve peace, national consensus, democracy and an end to violence”.
Previously, the government said favourable to the mediation’s plan to cancel a meeting to prepare for a national dialogue process because it was already done in October 2016.
The opposition says this preparatory meeting was intended to discuss the confidence-building measures that create a conducive environment for the return of the armed opposition groups to Khartoum to take part in the dialogue process.
(ST)