AU Commission welcomes Al Bashir’s unilateral ceasefire

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission welcomed the announcement of a unilateral ceasefire for four months by the President of Sudan, that went into effect on Saturday 18 June. If Sudan and the armed opposition groups respect the unilateral ceasefire, it “will also create a conducive environment for advancing the peace process in Sudan”.

In a press statement on Monday, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma expressed her wish that the armed opposition respects the unilateral ceasefire for six months, which was announced last April. If both parties cease hostilities, it will “ease the suffering of the populations in the conflict areas”.

Zuma appealed to the rebel moments in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile to take this opportunity to join the peace roadmap process which is facilitated by the AU High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP). 

The Sudanese government signed the proposed roadmap, that stated the accords where both sides should agree on, on 21 March this year, but the opposition groups refused to sign it. The Chairperson has already urged the opposition to sign the roadmap. 

Last weekend, however, they announced their willingness to conditionally sign the peace roadmap.

Zuma stressed that signing the roadmap by all those concerned will “allow the parties to resume negotiations, as soon as possible”. She expressed hope that the various Sudanese peace processes will be successfully brought to a close soon.