Sudanese parties welcome opposition ‘steps towards roadmap’

Political parties in Sudan have welcomed the Sudan Appeal's steps towards discussing the signing of the AUHIP roadmap following the opposition's meeting in Paris last week.

The Popular Congress Party (PCP), which is a member of the National Dialogue Steering Committee, called the steps “a noble position”. Political secretary Kamal Omar attributed the shift in the position of the Sudan Appeal forces to the pressure exerted by the international community and the African Union.

“The signing of the peace roadmap is not enough to create deep understandings,” he said in an interview last weekend. “It is necessary to unify visions in order to achieve democratic transformation and stop the wars.”

The Sudan Appeal members, a variety of rebel movements, opposition and civil society parties, want to meet with the AU chief mediator in the coming weeks to discuss the possibility of the Appeal signing a proposed peace roadmap with the Sudanese government. The mediating AU High-level Implementation Panel's (AUHIP) roadmap is an agreement which proposes a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access in Sudan's conflict areas.

The Sudan Appeal wishes to add a supplemental document to the roadmap before putting its signature, which the AUHIP initially rejected. The opposition now has reasons to believe that the panel's position has changed. Their document reportedly concerns the release of political prisoners, political freedoms and freedom of expression.

'Personally I am optimistic about the results of the meetings in Paris.'

Hassan Osman Rizig, the deputy head of the Reform Now Movement led by Ghazi Salaheldin Atabani, also described the outputs of the Sudan Appeal meeting as positive. In an interview with Radio Dabanga he said that the RNM political department has not yet met to discuss their official position on the recent developments. “But on my personal view, I am optimistic about the results of the meeting.

“Positive things have been announced concerning the roadmap. For me this is the most important thing because it stops the wars: the primary crisis afflicting Sudan. It is also a reason for the country's classification in the list of sanctions [by the USA and other countries].”

Rizig called on the government's and opposition's delegations to compromise in order to reach a formula to end the wars in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile.