SRF, mediators discuss procedural matters ahead of Sudan peace talks
October 15, 2019 (JUBA) – The Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) on Tuesday held a “procedural meeting” with the South Sudanese mediation team to discuss preparations for the peace talks, as the negotiations would include four tracks to achieve a comprehensive peace in Sudan.
However, the SRF requested that before to enter into negotiations to discuss the full implementation of the confidence-building measures agreed in the Juba Declaration. Also, they pointed the need to agree on the venue of the peace talks, the facilitators, AU and UN support and role, and logistic means for the delegations and advisers.
The SRF spokesman, Osama Said, told the Sudan Tribune that they held a procedural meeting with the mediation team headed by South Sudan’s Presidential Advisor Tut Kew Gatluak to discuss two key issues, namely the logistical arrangements for the delegations coming to participate in the negotiations and the form and tracks of talks.
“Based on the Juba Declaration of 11 September, the peace process consists of four tracks. There is a track for Darfur, a second one for the Two Areas, the third for eastern Sudan and the fourth one for northern Sudan,” Osama said.
He added that the agenda of the procedural discussions are all important and there is a need to reach understandings on it before to launch the talks.
“We discussed the procedural form of negotiations and issues related to the fours tracks.”
“The discussions touched ways to manage the political, economic and security axes in the four tracks, besides other national issues: the form of governance, representation in the various institutions and the overall construction of the Sudanese state, and the regions’ administrative structures.”
According to the spokesman Tuesday’s meetings tackled the fours tracks and how to manage it, besides the role of the mediator.
Osama who is representing the eastern Sudan Beja Congress further said that the SRF leadership would assess the outcome of the meetings before to resume discussions with the mediator on the remaining procedural issues on Wednesday.
The SRF Secretary-General Gibril Ibrahim told Sudan Tribune two days ago about their hope that the host country is picked in based on its capacity to contribute to the rehabilitation of the war-affected regions, alluding to the Golf countries.
However, Osama in his statements did not mention this issue, while Khartoum indicated its preference for Juba as a venue of the process.
(ST)