Government, SPLM-N Agar discuss wealth sharing in Sudan’s Two Areas
April 19, 2020 (KHARTOUM/JUBA) – Yasir Arman Deputy Chairman of the SPLM-N led by Malik Agar Sunday disclosed the details of the wealth-shearing discussion during the first teleconference meeting with the government within the framework of the peace talks on the conflict in Sudan’s Two Areas.
The security health measures to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic led the South Sudanese mediation to stop direct meetings and continue the talks through written correspondence.
But, the slowness of the process led to replacing it by means of virtual meetings from Juba and Khartoum through video conferencing system provided by the European Union through its offices in both Khartoum and Juba.
Arman who is the SPLM-N Agar chief negotiator said that Sunday’s meeting dealt with four strategic issues, particularly the wealth-sharing and federal governance.
He told Sudan Tribune that the Movement proposed earlier that the Two Areas be given 70% of the wealth produced in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states while the remaining 30% goes to the federal government.
In return, the government proposal says that 70% for the federal government and 30% for the Two Areas.
In a bid to narrow the gaps the mediation proposed 60% for the national government and 40% for the Two Areas.
He stated that the SPLM-N Agar accepted the mediation’s proposal, while the government said it would give its response in the next meeting which will be held on Tuesday.
The parties and the mediation agreed that the virtual meetings on the Two Areas will be held on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
The SPLM-N Agar chief negotiator said that the Movement’s proposal was based on the need to use the resources and wealth of the two states to develop it, eliminate marginalization, based on a new development perspective that can be applied to all states of Sudan.
On the regional autonomy for the two states, Arman pointed to the call for self-determination by the SPLM-N al-Hilu reiterating their commitment to a united Sudan.
“Our Movement with a united Sudan based on equal citizenship without discrimination and we call for federal rule ensuring on exclusive powers of the Two Areas. So, we patiently negotiate until this issue is resolved in the interest of the residents of the two states and the unity of Sudan.”
For his part, Ismail Al-Taj, the spokesman for the government negotiating team headed by Shams al-Din Kabbashi, stressed the government’s keenness to have a fair division of wealth taking into account the poverty rate in all states, adding that a study in this regard will be presented at the next meeting.
Army – RSF discord
In a related development, Arman warned against what he said was a “negative climate” in the capital Khartoum due to the attempts of the old regime and others to cause discord between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“This sedition will affect the whole of Sudan. We have fought before, for many years, against the armed forces and RSF, but we are now against any sedition between them because it will lead to the collapse of Sudan.”
“If Sudan collapses, it will collapse over all of us. None of those who dream to restore the Ingaz regime or to establish several countries will survive and look at what the situation now in Libya, Iraq, Yemen and Somalia,” he added.
The Sudanese army recently denied press reports claiming that that the head of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Hemetti are at odds over the militia merger in the Sudanese army.
The reports were published on the backdrop of regular inter-service transfer of a number of army officers from the RSF to other services in the army.
In statements made on Sunday, Al-Burhan renewed the unity and cohesion of the components of the security system, which he said is fully united.
He pointed out that those who promote such rumours aim to prevent the security system from playing any positive role aiming at bringing out the country from this delicate stage that Sudan is experiencing.
(ST)