SPLM-N leadership cancels decisions of Nuba body
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SPLM-N leader Malik Agar (Center) with SPLA-N chief of satff Jacod
Mekouar (L) and SPLM-N SG Yasir Arman pose for a collective picture in
the Nuba Mountains at the end of their meeting (ST Photo)
April 3, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The leadership council of the rebel Sudan
People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) has cancelled the
decisions of the Nuba Mountains Liberation Council (NMLC) and called
to elect a new body to represent the people in the region.
Last month, SPLM-N deputy chairman Abel Aziz al-Hilu resigned from his
position saying the secretary-general Yasir Arman disregarded his
demand to include the self-determination in the agenda of peace
negotiations.
On 25 March, NMLC, an SPLM-N political body in the South Kordofan
announced its support of al-Hilu’s demand for self-determination and
relieved Arman from his position as secretary-general and chief
negotiator.
On Saturday, the NMLC decided to freeze negotiations for peace in
Sudan until the settlement of internal divisions. The announcement
came in less than 24 hours after a communiqué by the SPLM-N leadership
announcing the end of five-day meetings in the Nuba Mountains to
settle the differences.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune Monday, SPLM-N chairman Malik
Agar said the NMLC was appointed by the Movement leadership, pointing
the group has “discuss national issues that don’t fall within its
powers” even before approving its internal regulations, saying the
NMLC is not entitled to discuss these issues.
“At best, the NMLC can offer recommendations and observations to the
national organs [of the Movement] after it approves its regulations
and discuss its issues,” he said.
He pointed the regional body attempted to undermine the powers of the
national institutions, stressing the “move caused severe damage to the
Movement and its internal unity and political reputation”.
Agar added the NMLC set itself up as “parallel leadership body”
without any constitutional or legal powers, saying Al-Hilu’s
resignation is rejected and the “NMLC has no right to discuss or
decides on it”.
He accused unnamed members of the NMLC of hijacking the group’s
decision, saying some of them aren’t members of the NMLC “but they
drafted the resolutions on behalf of the group a long time before its
meetings convene”.
The rebel leader vowed to investigate this issue and hold accountable
those responsible for the move, saying the leadership council received
a report from the governor of Nuba Mountains, SPLM-N secretary general
and the military command in the region stating they weren’t consulted
on the NMLC decisions.
“The SPLM-N leadership council decided to cancel the entire decisions
issued by the NMLC regarding the national organs and issues and that
these decisions don’t entail any political or legal effect,” he said.
Agar added the appointed NMLC is a body that operates under the
leadership of the SPLM-N and the regional leadership according to the
constitution.
NEGOTIATING POSITION
Regarding the peace talks with the government, Agar reiterated his
movement’s position to give priority for the humanitarian issues over
the political issues.
“The Movement renews readiness to negotiate the humanitarian issue
immediately and underlines that it wouldn’t engage in political talks
before delivering the humanitarian assistance to the needy,” he said.
He expressed SPLM-N readiness to meet the new U.S Administration at
any time and place to discuss its proposal for resolving the
humanitarian issue.
“The SPLM-N would only accept a comprehensive solution for the
Sudanese issue that takes into consideration the peculiarities of the
Two Areas and Darfur and meets the Sudanese demands and aspiration for
change,” he said.
Agar added that “issues of self-determination and the two armies must
be discussed seriously and at length within the SPLM-N organs and
institutions and conferences to reach a unified agreement and vision”,
saying the declared policies of the Movement mustn’t be changed in
order to achieve this end.
He stressed his movement’s commitment to the unified vision reached
with its allies in the Sudan Call, Sudan Revolutionary Front and the
opposition forces seeking change.
South Kordofan and neighbouring Blue Nile states, also known as the
“Two Areas” have been the scene of violent conflict between the SPLM-N
and Sudanese army since 2011.
The African Union has been seeking to end the conflict for several
years. However, talks between the two sides for a cessation of
hostilities and humanitarian access are stalled since last August.
The SPLM-N demands to deliver 20% of the humanitarian assistance
through a humanitarian corridor from Asosa, an Ethiopian border town.
But the government rejects the idea saying it is a breach of the state
sovereignty and a manoeuvre from the rebels to bring arms and
ammunition to their locked rebel-held areas in the Two Areas.
The SPLM-N last November declined an American proposal to transport
humanitarian medical assistance directly to the civilians in the
rebel-held areas in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan
JOINT COMMITTEE FOR THE TWO AREAS
Meanwhile, the leadership council announced the formation of a
temporary joint committee to administer the Nuba Mountains and Blue
Nile states for a period of six months renewable.
According to the statement, the committee will be chaired by the SPLA
Chief of Staff in the Nuba Mountains region while it will be headed by
the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations in the Blue Nile.
It pointed the committee is tasked with taking decisions on national
and critical issues besides security and political issues in the Two
Areas upon a recommendation to the national leadership council.
The statement added that the leadership council decided to form a
national liberation council which will discuss issues of interest to
the SPLM-N at national levels.
Agar pointed that the posting of the SPLM-N issues on the social media
has exposed the Movement to political, organisational, military and
security risks, describing it as a clear violation to the
institutional framework.
DISPATCHING DELEGATIONS
The statement pointed that the leadership council decided to dispatch
delegations to explain the political and organisational situation to
the SPLM-N membership in the liberated areas and the diaspora.
It added the SPLM-N chairman and the leadership council members have
been tasked with contacting the political forces and the civil society
to brief them on the internal situation of the Movement.
Agar further demanded the African Union chief mediator Thabo Mbeki to
visit the SPLM-N controlled areas to consult with the war victims on
the ground and to listen to the Movement institutions and the civil
society.
(ST)
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