Sudanese opposition sign peace roadmap, say ready to engage in peace talks
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Sudan Call leader sign the Roadmap Agreement paving the way for talks
with the government on cessation of hostilities and humanitarian
access on 8 August 2016 (ST Photo)
August 8, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA/KHARTOUM) - Four groups of the opposition
umbrella Sudan Call on Monday in Addis Ababa have signed the Roadmap
Agreement for peace and dialogue brokered by the African Union High
Implementation Panel (AUHIP).
Last March, four Sudan Call groups including the National Umma Party
(NUP), Sudan People’s Liberation Movement /North (SPLM-N), Justice and
Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) led by
Minni Minnawi rejected the peace plan, saying it excludes other
opposition groups, and omits important confidence building measures
such as political freedoms and release of political detainees and
prisoners.
However after five months, they agreed to ink it after receiving
reassurance from the head of the AUHIP Thabo Mbeki.
Hours ahead of signing the roadmap agreement, the Sudan call group
held a separate meeting at a different venue where the opposition
factions organized issues of concern they wanted to raise to Mbeki.
The Sudan call meeting was then followed by a meeting with AUHIP and
Mbeki where the groups reach agreement on how the Sudan call is going
to sign the roadmap agreement and on how their concern should be
addressed.
Speaking to Sudan Tribune, Yasir Arman, SPLM-N secretary general said
he is optimistic that the parties will step towards achieving an
inclusive process that will bring an end to the war.
"We are ready to sign the peace deal that addresses the humanitarian
situation, which brings democracy and transformation, equal
citizenship and that one that moves Sudan from dictatorship to
democracy" Arman said.
WHAT LIES NEXT
Now that the Roadmap Agreement is signed, Negotiations are expected to
resume tomorrow in two tracks: SPLM-N with the government and other
track for Darfur.
Head of the NUP, al-Sadig al-Mahdi, told Sudan Tribune that following
the signing of the roadmap, AUHIP will convene a meeting which he said
the Sudan call group expects to discuss confidence building measures.
He said it will also lead to setting agendas for future discussions on
democratization.
“We believe that after the signature we will arrange this meeting and
this meeting will lead to further discussions between the two sides to
come to terms about how to continue this Sudanese process inside Sudan
after the confidence building process is fulfilled” al-Sadiq al-Mahdi,
also the Former Sudanese Prime Minister told Sudan Tribune.
He said the national initiative inside has come to an end and it has
its own recommendations.
"What we are talking about is an independent process of course we will
discuss what was achieved”.
RESERVATIONS
After signing the agreement, SPLM-N leader, Malik Agar, told reporters
that his group was signing the agreement while still having
reservations.
Although Malik didn’t detail the reservations he however hinted it is
related to the humanitarian situation and on issues to do with
political detainees.
He said his movement is committed to peace and the decision to sign
the agreement was to give peace a chance further calling on the
government side to demonstrate commitment.
Speaking to Sudan Tribune, the leader of the Sudan Liberation
Movement-Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) Minni Arko Minnawi has however
expressed reservations further questioning the neutrality of Mbeki,
but declined to give further details.
SUDAN CALL STATEMENT
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune ahead of the signing of
Roadmap, Sudan Call said it told Mbeki that it was ready to sign the
peace document on the basis of the understandings it brought to him in
its letter on 22 July 2016.
It reiterated its call for holding a preparatory meeting to achieve a
credible and inclusive national constitutional dialogue process,
saying the meeting must “guarantee the Sudan Call the right to agree
to its own delegation”.
The statement added that the agenda for the preparatory meeting “must
determine the agenda, rules, procedures, regulations, mechanisms and
guarantees that will shape an inclusive and credible national
constitutional dialogue process”.
It added that the meeting must reach an agreement on the decisions and
actions for a conducive environment needed for a credible dialogue
including fundamental freedoms and release of political prisoners and
detainees “as well as a matrix for their implementation”.
ARRIVAL OF GOVERNMENT DELEGATION
Meanwhile, the Sudanese government delegation for the peace talks on
Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile has arrived in Addis Ababa on
Monday.
Presidential aide and head of the delegation Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid
told the semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) that they are ready to
engage in talks with the armed groups on the cessation of hostilities
and the humanitarian access according to the Roadmap.
He expressed hope that the armed groups exhibit a strong political
will to achieve an agreement ending the conflicts in Darfur and the
Two Areas.
For his part, member of the government delegation Bishara Guma’a Aror
said the peace talks would start on Tuesday by discussing the
preliminary arrangements stipulated on item (2-1) of the Roadmap
pertaining to cessation of hostilities and permanent ceasefire besides
the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
He pointed that the parties to the talks would then engage on
discussions on the political and security arrangement.
(ST)
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