Rebel alliance, Sudan govt work to make Juba peace talks inclusive

The Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) rebel alliance reports they have established a joint mechanism with the government for the involvement of the main stakeholders of the peace talks: the displaced and refugees, native administration leaders, and civil society activists.

Dr El Hadi Idris, chairman of the SRF, said that the joint mechanism between the government and the SRF was formed in the presence of members of Sudan’s Supreme Peace Commission and representatives of the UN-AU peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (Unamid).

He said that the meeting, attached to the current round of peace talks in Juba, affirmed the need to involve stakeholders in order for peace to be lasting and be implemented on the ground.

The meeting also discussed the size and proportions of stakeholder participation, the mechanism for their selection and the phase in which they will participate in the negotiations.

Idris said that this committee will visit Darfur with the help of Unamid to discuss the effective and transparent nature of the selection of the real representatives of the stakeholders, pointing out that Unamid has committed to transport the stakeholders to Juba, pointing out that the agreement to form the mechanism was considered an important breakthrough in the negotiations.

Darfur negotiations

The SRF chairman announced the actual start of negotiations on the Darfur track today, explaining that they will present their framework agreement paper to the government delegation and the mediation team, which includes the issues of the displaced and refugees, lands and hawakeer (lands traditionally used by tribal communities), humanitarian issues, and power and wealth sharing.

He mentioned that negotiations will continue during the coming days, except for the Christmas and New Year holidays, explaining that delegations will remain in Juba throughout the negotiation period until a final agreement is reached or a real breakthrough occurs in the essential files.

Spokesman for the South Sudan mediation team, Minister of Energy and Dams Dhieu Mathok reported that the Darfur track committee will present its position to the government delegation and the mediation team, describing this as “an important event that constitutes the real beginning for the Darfur track”.

He said in a press conference on Wednesday that the Higher Committee for the Darfur Track met yesterday with a view to agreeing on the participation of refugees, displaced people and civil society leaders, considering this an important issue in order to cause breakthroughs in the negotiation processes in the Darfur track, saying that the participation of those affected by the war in the negotiations paves the way to true stability in Sudan.

He pointed out that agreement on this issue is a basic axis to reach peace in Darfur.

Aisha Mousa, member of the Sovereign Council, affirmed that the meeting concluded that the displaced and refugees should be represented as the right holders of rights and revealed the formation of a mini committee from all parties participating in the meeting to go to the camps and choose the personalities that will participate in the negotiations.

Delegation

On the separately-held peace negotiations with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North faction led by Abdelaziz El Hilu, Mathok said that the document submitted by the rebel group to a committee from the government party, and that the mediators are awaiting the response of the government party after the committee has finished its work.

Yesterday, a delegation of 30 native administration leaders from eastern Sudan, most notably Sheikh Suliman Betay and Mousa Mohamed Ahmed. arrived in Juba with a presidential aircraft.

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