Sudan to host new round of talks for peace in Central African Republic
January 15, 2019 (KHARTOUM) Sudan’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said Khartoum would host a new round of talks between the armed movements and the government in the Central African Republic (CAR) on 24 January.
Last November, the Sudanese government postponed the meeting upon the request of the African Union (AU) because it coincided with the African Union Extraordinary Summit on the Institutional Reform.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Babiker al-Siddiq, said Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Ahmed has briefed the European Union, France and United Kingdom ambassadors as well as the United States and Norway Charge d’affaires to Khartoum on the ongoing preparations to host the CAR peace talks on 24 January.
According to the statement, El-Dirdeiry stressed the international community’s full support to Khartoum’s meeting, saying the African Union initiative constitutes the bases for the CAR peace talks.
He pointed out that the African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Chergui will oversee the Khartoum talks with the participation of all concerned parties.
Sudan’s top diplomat added that all foreign ambassadors have expressed their countries’ support for the CAR peace talks.
The warring groups in CAR signed the Khartoum Declaration of Entente on 28 August 2018 where they accept to negotiate a peaceful settlement for the civil war.
The Central African Republic has been grappling with violence since fighting between the mostly Christian anti-Balaka militia and the mainly Muslim Séléka rebel coalition broke out in December 2012.
In January 2017, The AU adopted the African initiative for peace in the CAR. Further, in an effort to involve the neighbouring countries adopted in July 2017 a Roadmap for Peace and National Reconciliation in the CAR in partnership with the Economic Community of Central African States, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, Angola, the Republic of Congo, Gabon and Chad).
(ST)