‘AUHIP mediation should be strengthened’: Sudan’s opposition forces

The Sudan Appeal forces, represented by leaders of the Sudan Revolutionary Front rebel alliance and the National Umma Party, led by El Sadig El Mahdi, submitted a position paper to the AU High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) in Addis Ababa on Sunday evening.

The AU mediation team invited the opposition leaders for a consultation meeting in the Ethiopian capital on Saturday and Sunday to discuss the way forward after the Sudanese government turned down the proposal of merging the peace negotiations with a broad national dialogue.

As the invitations and travel arrangements were organised late, members of the other two Sudan Appeal signatories, the National Consensus Forces (a coalition of opposition parties) and the Civil Society Initiative were not able to attend. The four opposition groups signed the Sudan Appeal, a two-page political communiqué calling for regime change and a comprehensive peace in Addis Ababa on 3 December last year.

“We just wanted to emphasise that we stay committed to a peaceful resolution by a broad dialogue that should be transparent and free of any coercion.”

Dr Jibril Ibrahim, head of the Justice and Equality Movement, told Radio Dabanga that the opposition leaders during the meeting lauded the AU team members for their patience and flexibility.

Peaceful resolution

Regarding the position paper they submitted, he said that it “contains a number of issues presented before by the Sudan Appeal signatories to resolve the multiple crises in Sudan and to reach a democratic transformation and comprehensive peace. We just wanted to emphasise that we stay committed to a peaceful resolution by a broad dialogue that should be transparent and free of any coercion.”

The allied opposition stated in their position paper that the AUHIP needs to be re-structured to be more effective in reaching its goals. “Unamid should be included in the African mediation team that also should be seriously backed by regional and international actors.”

The rebel leader said that the opposition stated its willingness to reach a cessation of hostilities accord “on all fronts”, for the Blue Nile, South Kordofan, and Darfur. “To achieve this, all parties must be prepared to meet in Addis Ababa to discuss and agree on the required bases and the mechanisms.”

Concerning the National Dialogue, the opposition forces are willing to meet a delegation from the Sudanese government to talk about the possibility and procedures of the dialogue process.

Ibrahim added that the opposition leaders also expressed their deep concerns about the repression of the media, the ongoing human rights violations, and the rebels on death row in Sudanese prisons. “We called upon the AU Peace and Security Council to intervene and save the lives of these people.

“We demanded the AU team to collect the UN Security Council resolutions adopted on Sudan and to support a new and strong resolution that will be effective and alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese and lead to a lasting peace,” he concluded.