African mediation-Sudan Call’s discussions stalled over opposition’s representation
December 12, 2018 (ADDIS ABABA) – The opposition Sudan Call and the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) failed to hold a meeting on the Roadmap Agreement for peace in Sudan due to their divergence over who can take part in the meeting.
The AUHIP Chair Thabo Mbeki on Wednesday refused to meet a delegation of the opposition alliance, Sudan Call, including Sadiq al-Mahdi, the opposition leader, Minni Minnawi the secretary – general and the Sudan Call vice-presidents Gebril Ibrahim, Malik Agar, Omer al-Digair.
Mbeki said he wants to meet only with the signatories of the Roadmap Agreement specifically al-Mahdi, Minnawi, and Ibrahim. He rejected to meet Agar considering they already took the faction of Abdel Aziz al-Hilu as the representative for the SPLM-N.
In a statement released late on Wednesday, the Sudan Call said Mbeki met with al-Mahdi, al-Digair and Minnawi in vain, as he maintained his rejection to discuss the amendment of the roadmap agreement with the Sudan Call.
Accordingly, they decided to address him a written letter on their position on the legitimacy of the Sudan Call’s representation.
“The Sudan Call is an integral part of the implementation of the Roadmap. It has been agreed between the mediation and the leadership of Sudan Call on this matter,” said a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.
“The Sudan Call is ready to sit with President Mbeki to talk with him on ways to implement the roadmap which is in principle open to all Sudanese willing to reach a comprehensive political solution,” added the opposition alliance.
The opposition says all the members of their delegations present in Addis Ababa have been invited by the mediation.
The alliance, which gather the armed and political opposition groups further, accused the Sudanese government of exerting continuous pressure on mediation and hindering any attempt to reach a compromise.
In a letter to the government and the Sudan Call leader on 25 September 2018, he AUHIP proposed to amend the roadmap agreement signed in March and August 2016, saying “a major change that has taken place since the conclusion of the RMA (Roadmap Agreement)”.
(ST)