Minnawi group resumes participation in Sudan’s peace process
April 15, 2020 (KHARTOUM) – South Sudan’s mediation for peace in Sudan announced Tuesday that the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) resumed its participation in the peace talks and signed the one-month extension agreement.
SLM-MM last Friday suspended its participation in the Juba process blaming the mediation for not consulting them and also criticized its allied groups for signing an agreement providing to extend the negotiations for one month until 9 May.
On Tuesday, the Chief Mediator Tut Gatluak met with the SLM-MM negotiating team headed by Mohamed Bashir to discuss their concerns.
“We met with the Sudan Liberation Movement, and we discussed many issues, including the extension of the negotiation period. We agreed that the Movement would engage in indirect talks in the power-sharing chapter,” said Dhieu Matouk, the Deputy chief Mediator and mediation’s spokesman, in statements to the media after the meeting.
Matouk reaffirmed the mediation’s eagerness to achieve progress towards a final peace agreement despite the global health conditions, adding that resorting to indirect negotiations confirms the determination of all parties to reach a peace agreement.
For his part, Bashir said they raised the need for continued consultations with the parties, to include some groups to the peace process and that the discussions of the security arrangements require direct talks and participation of experts and military staff.
In a letter to the SLM-MM negotiating team on Saturday, the chief mediator said that all the group’s concerns will be addressed.
“We will make sure that all parties to the peace process will be consulted on the issues related to the peace process,” stressed Gatluak.
Hamdok calls Minnawi
Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok held a lengthy telephone conversation with Minawi to discuss on the progress of the peace process taking place in Juba, said the official news agency SUNA.
“During the call, Minawi stressed his movement’s steadfast stance on the need to reach a real and sustainable peace that addresses the root causes of the crisis and silences the sound of the gun forever,” said SUNA.
For his part, the SLM-MM leader thanked the prime minister for his ” for your precious advice (on the need for) Cohesion, unity and to achieve peace quickly”.
“We all support the stability of the transitional period, and we fight with you the agenda of the predators,” he further added.
(ST)