Al Bashir, AUHIP chairman discuss peace talks issues
President Omar Al Bashir held a meeting with chairman of the African Union’s High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) to discuss points on the outstanding peace negotiations agenda on Wednesday.
(L-R) Yasir Arman and Malik Agar, now heading a faction of the SPLM-N, meet with AUHIP chairman Thabo Mbeki to request postponement of peace negotiations with the Sudanese government in Addis Ababa on 24 April 2017 (RD)
President Omar Al Bashir held a meeting with chairman of the African Union’s High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) to discuss points on the outstanding peace negotiations agenda on Wednesday.
The Sudanese president called on the opposition forces in the country to participate in the writing of the constitution and prepare and participate in the elections of 2020.
In a press statement after the meeting, AUHP chaiman and former South African president Thabo Mbeki said that their meeting discussed a number of outstanding issues on the negotiating agenda regarding the regions of South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur.
Mbeki stated that the Sudanese government desires to involve everyone in the dialogue and contribute to national issues and its efforts for peace in the Two Areas and Darfur.
Al Bashir announced that the government is ready to proceed negotiations with opponents and armed movements, according to the negotiations agenda that has been set out by the high-level AU panel, headed by Mbeki.
In an attempt to revive the repeatedly stalled peace negotiations with Khartoum, the AUHIP prepared a roadmap agreement in early 2016. It was signed by the representatives of the Sudanese government and, months later, by the Sudan Liberation Movement faction under the leadership of Minni Minawi (SLM-MM), the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).
Rounds of separate peace talks followed between the Sudanese government and the SPLM-N concerning South Kordofan and Blue Nile, and between Khartoum and the Darfuri movements SLM-MM and JEM. Both tracks however failed to reach an agreement. In July this year, a German initiative to invite the warring parties for “informal consultations” failed as well.
Faisal Hassan Ibrahim, Assistant to the President of the Republic, explained that Mbeki's visit to Sudan this week came in order for the government to know the extent of the response of the opposing parties at the table to the resumption of peace negotiations.
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