AU commends Sudan Dialogue, calls for release of political prisoners

The African Union Commission has encouraged the Sudanese government to “release all political detainees and ensure political freedoms” in order to establish the right environment for the holding of the National Dialogue. It argued that “this is a national process, that should be conducted in a transparent manner”. The chairman of the AU Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, made her remarks in a statement released on Friday, after the visit of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) to Sudan. From Tuesday to Thursday, the AUHIP met with the National Dialogue Steering Committee, Sudanese government officials, women civil society groups, and opposition groups. National Dialogue Zuma commended the first assembly of the Steering Committee last Sunday, in which various political parties participated, for adopting the Addis Ababa agreement of 5 September between the committee and the signatories of the Paris Declaration. The rebel Sudan Revolutionary Front and the opposition Umma Party, together with Dialogue representatives, signed the text which stated that all stakeholders are guaranteed of participation in the dialogue. The chairman also commended that the armed rebel movements will be briefed on the National Dialogue process in Addis Ababa this month. She believed this will “create an enabling environment and building trust between the parties involved. “This is a national process, that should be conducted in a transparent, inclusive and fair manner,” Zuma stated, commending the Steering Commitee’s attempts to “timely share critical information with the Sudanese nation” through regular interactions. ‘Release political detainees’Zuma encouraged Khartoum to establish a conducive environment for the holding of the National Dialogue, and implement confidence-building measures, including the release of all political detainees and prisoners and the ensuring of political freedoms. She went on saying that the AUHIP is pleased with the negotiations on a cessation of hostilities in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, to resume on 12 November with the rebel SPLM-N. The same counts for the negotiations with the Darfur rebel movements on 22 November. Both will take place in Addis Ababa under the auspices of the AUHIP. File photo: Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, chairman of the AU Commission (archive) Related: Opposition boycotts Sudan dialogue meeting, elections (3 November 2014) AU invites Sudan’s rebels to next round of talks (27 October 2014) Sudan committee, opposition agree on National Dialogue (5 September 2014)