Sudanese premier, SRF leader discuss ways to overcome peace obstacles
April 17, 2020 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok intends to hold direct talks with the armed groups involved in the ongoing negotiation process in Juba, reported the official news agency SUNA on Thursday.
Hamdok “affirmed his keenness to achieve a just peace in Sudan as a top priority for the transitional government, and announced his intention to conduct direct talks in this regard immediately after the end of the current pandemic,” reported the official agency.
It further added that the SRF chairman for his part asserted their keenness to reach a comprehensive peace that ends the war, addresses the root causes of the crises and enhances security and stability in Sudan.
Also, the two leaders “agreed to consult on all issues”.
The SRF two days ago reiterated their rejection of the joint announcement made by the government, the Sovereign Council and the Forces for Freedom and Change about the imminent appointment of civilian governors.
The government and the armed groups recently extended the talks for a month but the talks on the outstanding issues and the security arrangements have registered slow progress as the discussions continue via written correspondence.
The Sudanese government peace commission announced that the talks will resume on Sunday via videoconference.
New groups
As the talks are approaching their end, the South Sudanese mediation said that it had received two letters from the Sudanese government.
The first was related to ways to include two armed groups from the Darfur region into the process. While the second was about the appointment of governors and the transitional legislative assembly.
Some Darfur armed factions that not part of the SRF, applied to join the Juba process: the Sudanese Alliance led by Khamis Abdallah Abkar, a former SLM commander and the Sudan Liberation Army led by Ahmed Ibrahim Youssef.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with an SRF delegation led by Gibril Ibrahim on Thursday, the deputy head of the South Sudanese mediation Dhieu Matouk said that the meeting discussed the two letters that were received from the transitional government.
Dhieu pointed out to the presence in Juba of several groups from Darfur that have demanded to join the peace talks. He added that their demand had been discussed with the government and the SRF according to the provisions of Juba Declaration which requires the consent of the signatories for the inclusion of any new participant in the process.
He said that the SRF vowed to consider the government’s letter on the matter and respond as quickly as possible.
Matouk said the SRF, also pledged to give its response on the appointment of governors and parliament soon.
A tripartite meeting held last Saturday in Khartoum between the FFC leaders; the cabinet and the sovereign council recognized the need to accelerate the completion of transitional authority structures by forming the Legislative Council and appointing civil governors to the states.
The SRF which is hostile to the move before the signing of a peace agreement says they want to be consulted before any decision in this respect.
SLM Minnawi recently called to include these new factions in the process, but the other SRF members fear that such a move complicate further the discussions.
(ST)