Salva Kiir proposes to mediate Sudan peace talks
September 5, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The South Sudan President Salva Kiir has proposed to host peace negotiations between Sudan’s transitional government and armed groups in Darfur and the Two Areas with the support of Sudan’s neighbours and Gulf states.
On Wednesday, Kiir met with all the leaders of the Sudanese armed groups including the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF), the SPLM-N of Abdel Aziz al-Hilu and the Sudan Liberation Forces Alliance (SLFA) of Taher Hajer. He discussed with them ways to end the armed conflicts in their respective regions after the formation of the transitional government in Sudan.
Sources that preferred anonymity told Sudan Tribune that armed groups in the Two Areas and Darfur participants in the meetings approved the proposal of President Kiir to host the peace talks with the Sudanese government.
The sources confirmed that he told the rebel leaders that the peace process in Juba will be sponsored by a large number of neighbouring countries citing: Uganda, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Egypt, as well as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
He voiced optimism about the ability of Salva Kiir and the sponsors to help the Sudanese parties to achieve peace.
“The President of South Sudan has an experience similar to the Sudanese situation and he is one of the first fighters who resisted injustice,” he said stressing that Kiir for all these reasons he is well placed to mediate the Sudanese process.
“We, as armed struggle movements, have all approved that President Salva Kiir mediates the peace mediator,” said the source.
A Sudanese government delegation is expected to arrive in Juba in the next few days to discuss the proposal.
The ousted President Omer al-Bashir had longtime resisted Kiir’s proposal to facilitate the peace talks with the Sudanese armed groups. However, after his involvement in the IGAD-mediated peace talks to end the three-year armed conflict in South Sudan, al-Bashir accepted his involvement.
Kiir had long-time repeated that the armed conflict in Sudan affect directly the stability in his country pointing out all these armed conflicts are located in the border areas. Also, he said the continuation of the war in Sudan incites Khartoum to back South Sudanese armed groups after accusing Juba of supporting the Sudanese rebels.
(ST)