President Al Bashir calls ceasefire in Sudan

President Omar Al Bashir of Sudan has announced an extension of the unilateral ceasefire in all conflict areas, including South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Speaking to a crowd at a football stadium in Kadugli, capital of South Kordofan state, President Omar Al Bashir said his country has exerted every possible effort to bring peace and vowed to make further efforts to achieve peace across Sudan.

The president and field marshall of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) appeared in full military uniform on stage. Al Bashir said he hoped that his next meeting with the crowd will take place in Kauda, the stronghold of the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).

“They [the rebels] are our brothers and they belong to us and we want them to return and live among us in order to build this country,” the president said.

Furthermore he pledged to complete all development and services projects in South Kordofan including the ring road and the electricity grid.

Rebel activity

Both factions of the SPLM-N have declared unilateral ceasefires in their conflict with the government in the past. In December, the SPLM-N faction of Malik Agar claimed to have killed five government troops wounding of others in a joint attack by Sudanese army and militia forces on its positions in Bau locality in Blue Nile state.

The rebel faction and the Sudanese government were invited to several days of consultations in Addis Ababa and Johannesburg in October under the chairmanship of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), to discuss the draft framework agreement for 2014, the draft agreement on the cessation of hostilities for humanitarian purposes, and thirdly the Roadmap agreement of 2016.

A meeting between the Sudanese government and SPLM-N Abdelaziz El Hilu faction over the resumption of peace negotiations concluded without significant progress in November.

The African Union High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) brokers the comprehensive peace talks to end the war and achieve democratic reforms. The two-track process comprises the Sudanese government and opposition forces including the armed groups in Darfur and the Two Areas.