AU communiqué explains decisions on AUHIP for Sudan

The AU has issued a communiqué of the 456th Meeting of the Peace and Security Council held on 12 September 2014. The communiqué explains decisions on the progress report of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) for Sudan.According to the communiqué, the AU Peace and Security Council endorsed a number of steps by the AUHIP in support of the efforts of the Sudanese stakeholders to address the issues confronting their country: (i) the negotiations on cessation of hostilities, immediately leading to a comprehensive security arrangements agreement, should resume at the earliest opportunity, under the auspices of the AUHIP and in collaboration and coordination with the JSR/JCM; (ii) the negotiations on the cessation of hostilities for the Two Areas and for Darfur should be conducted in a synchronized manner; (iii) a meeting of the Sudanese parties to discuss relevant process issues, in order to pave the way for the National Dialogue should be held at the AU Headquarters under the facilitation of the AUHIP, as requested by the Sudanese stakeholders, , to ensure that the necessary confidence-building are taken, the key steps of the National Dialogue process are fully agreed upon, and that the process is fair and will result in the mutually-agreed objectives. Confidence-building measuresThe Council “encourages” the Sudanese government to expedite its efforts towards implementing the agreed confidence-building measures, including: (i) the release of all political detainees and prisoners; (ii) the adoption and implementation of all necessary steps to ensure political freedoms and full guarantee of the freedom of expression and publication, including by enacting the necessary legislation to give effect to these freedoms; (iii) ensuring that the judiciary will be the only institution to adjudicate matters relating to the exercise of the freedom of expression and publication, with no resort to extraordinary measures; and (iv) providing the necessary guarantees for the armed groups freely to participate in the National Dialogue, once the comprehensive ceasefire and security arrangements agreements have been concluded, and facilitating humanitarian assistance to all populations in war-affected areas.Read the entire communiquéFile photo: Thabo Mbeki (C) with Malik Agar, chairman of the SRF, on his left at the signing ceremony of an agreement with the National Dialogue committee on 4 September in the Ethiopian capitalRelated: Sudan’s ruling party hails Addis National Dialogue agreement (14 September 2014)