UN Secretary-General welcomes Sudan ceasefires

The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has issued a statement welcoming the announcement by the Government of Sudan of a four-month unilateral cessation of hostilities, beginning on 18 June 2016, in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

He also welcomes the six-month unilateral cessation of hostilities declared by the Sudan Revolutionary Forces in the Two Areas and Darfur on 28 April 2016.

“These commitments should ease the suffering of the people living in the affected areas.” The Secretary-General urges the parties to allow and facilitate urgently needed humanitarian access to these areas.

In the statement on Wednesday, Ban reiterates his call for the parties which have not signed the Roadmap proposed by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) to do so, “and to continue talks with the Government of Sudan and other parties engaged in dialogue inside Sudan to reach agreement on a process for final peace through inclusive national dialogue”.

On June 17, Sudan’s President Omar Al Bashir declared a four-month unilateral cessation of hostilities in Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

The ceasefire renews the call of the Sudanese president for the opposition forces to join the National Dialogue process before the general assembly of the national dialogue which will be held on 6 August, the Sudanese News Agency (Suna) reported.

On 28 April, Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) declared a six- month unilateral cessation of hostilities, and urged the AU mediation team to organise a meeting with the government to make it effective.