Military Council, SPLM-N Agar agree on measures ahead of peace talks in Sudan

July 27, 2019 (JUBA/KHARTOUM) – The Transitional Military Council (TMC) agreed with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North Malik Agar (SPLM-N Agar) on confidence-building measures, including the humanitarian access, in preparation of a comprehensive peace process that Sudanese agreed to hold during the transitional period.

A joint delegation from the Junta and the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) travelled to Juba on Saturday as it was officially announced that they intend to meet the SPLM-N faction led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu which is not part of the opposition coalition.

However, the delegation met with Malik Agar, the leader of the other SPLM-N faction, upon the demand of President Salva Kiir according to a letter the former sent to his allies in the FFC saying he had been requested by the South Sudanese leader to come to Juba “for an urgent matter”.

Late during the night, the official news agency SUNA reported that the TMC deputy chairman who is also the head of the peace committee Mohamed Hamdan Dalgo (Hemetti) agreed with Agar to release the political detainees, cancellation of the death penalty against Agar and his deputy Yasir Arman issued by the former regime and to open humanitarian corridors to allow the safe transit of humanitarian assistance to civilian in the conflict zones.

The two sides, further, agreed to renew the cessation of hostilities that the two sides had declaration unilaterally in the past, added the official agency.

The Sudanese delegation is expected to continue peace meetings and hold talks with the SPLM-N al-Hilu, stressed the agency.

After al-Bashir’s ouster, South Sudanese president renewed his offer to help in the resolution of the armed conflict in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states which are located on the border areas between the two countries.

Kiir had previously stated that peace and stability in the two Sudans can not be achieved without ending the conflict in the Two Areas.

He sought to reconcile the two SPLM-N factions but he failed. Al-Hilu refused the proposed reunification.

Al-Hilu, in the past months after the removal of the al-Bashir regime, said he would discuss peace only with a civilian government but not with the military council.

Following the meeting, the SPLM-N Agar Secretary-General Ismail Jalab who took part in the meeting issued a statement saying they had a “frank meeting” with the TMC delegation that tackled the issues of achieving “a just, urgent and comprehensive peace” in Sudan.

The SPLM-N Agar urged the military council to support the Addis Ababa Agreement between the FFC political and armed groups and to include it in the political agreement and the constitutional declaration, he further said.

In addition, they called to take “clear and bold steps to support the democratic transformation and the elimination of the state of empowerment (expression used to describe the elements of the former regime) and the abolition of its repressive laws, especially the law of public order in recognition of the increasing role played by the Sudanese women”.

Last June, the military council deported a goodwill delegation from the SPLM-N Agar headed by the Movement deputy chairman Yasir Arman, secretary-general Jalab and the spokesman Mubarak Ardol to promote peace and reconciliation after the regime change in Sudan.

(ST)