Sudan: SPLM-N to release 20 government troops

The Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) has decided to release 20 government troops captured in battles during the past year.

The release was brokered by the National Sa’ihoun Initiative (NSI), a group of Sudanese Islamists, Mubarak Ardol, spokesman for the SPLM-N negotiations delegation, told Radio Dabanga.

“The decision to release the government forces constitutes an affirmation of the good intentions of the SPLM-N, in recognition of the humanitarian situation of the captives and their relatives,” the spokesman explained. “It was discussed already by SPLM-N chairman Malik Agar, secretary-general Yasir Arman, and chief of staff Abdelaziz El Hilu before the NSI approached us in Addis Ababa.”

Ardol called on the International Red Cross to transfer the 20 captives currently held in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan, “before the start of the next round of peace talks”.

The SPLM-N leaders have invited the NSI for a joint meeting “to discuss, and develop a common humanitarian agenda, including the issue of captives and missing fighters from both warring sides”, the spokesman added. “We also proposed to discuss the bombardments on civilians by the Sudanese Air Force, and the right of the people on both sides to receive humanitarian aid, separately from the political agenda, as required by international humanitarian law.”