Negotiations between the Sudanese government and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North in Addis Ababa aim to end the war in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, which has been fought since mid-2011.
Ibrahim Ghandour, a leading figure in the National Congress Party of Sudan, gave opening remarks on behalf of the government, and Yasser Arman, secretary-general of SPLM-N, gave the address on behalf of the opposition group. Reproduced here are the prepared texts of the two speeches delivered at the ‘two areas’ talks on 13 February 2014, as disseminated by the African Union High Implementation Panel.
Speech of Prof. Ibrahim Ahmed Ghandour, Head of GoS Negotiation Team:
In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Compassionate,
His Excellency President Thabo Mbeki, Chairperson of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel for Sudan and South Sudan (AUHIP),
Honorable Presidents and Members of the AUHIP,
Honorable Representative of the United Nations,
Honorable Representative of the IGAD,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Best wishes and greetings.
We salute you in the name of the Government of Sudan and we are grateful to your extended efforts, time and support to resolve issues of the two areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile. We affirm to your Excellency that we have come, as always, expressing interests of the entire Sudanese people and those of the peoples of the two areas in peace. As we have reiterated in the previous round, peace is a goal to which we are committed and determined to achieve.
Mr. President and dear all,
We came to this beautiful African city in April last year, full of hope to achieve peace in Sudan. However, the inflexibility shown by the other party during that round, which was held between 24-26 April, 2013, was the very reason which have prevented us to achieve peace which our people are looking for and aspire, until in the very next day of the end of that round, a military offensive was launched against the two towns of Um-rwaba and Abu-karshola, where hundreds of innocent people were killed and the bodies of some were deformed. Killings were carried out on the basis of tribal and partisan identities; a matter which was denounced by the United Nations, the African Union, the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Conference, the European Union and all noble and peace-loving peoples across the world.
Despite what had occurred on the 27th and the 28th of April 2013, we have reaffirmed the readiness of the Government of Sudan to continue negotiations as it is the only means of achieving peace, since peace is an end which must not be subject to tactics and cunning ways. The same has been reiterated by His Excellency President Omar Al-Bashir in his address to the Sudanese Nation on January 27, 2014, this is essentially because peace is a priority among four pillars including political practice and issues of freedom, the constitution, elections, economy, poverty alleviation and the discussion on the Sudanese identity, just to name a few. In affirmation to the responsibility of the state towards security and safety of all its citizens, the address of the president has also called for a Grand National dialogue among all Sudanese stakeholders on these four pillars, without even excluding those who carry arms against the state.
Mr. President honorable audience
We have come to this round of negotiations full of hope that we shall have dialogue with the other party who carry arms in the two areas of South Kordofan and the Blue Nile to achieve peace that would rescue our people from the plights of war and destruction, and pave the way for sustainable development that respects the dignity of human beings and provide them, as much as possible, with the deserved services such as health, education and decent life. We are here today to negotiate on the basis of the three African Union Peace and Security Council’s resolutions in 2012 and 2013 along with the UNSC resolution (2046), reemphasizing that the negotiations will only be confined to the three issues of the two areas, security, political and humanitarian.
We reiterate that agreement on peace will support the national dialogue process among all Sudanese political stakeholders which have, without exception, underscored their agreement on dialogue in response to the call of His Excellency the President of the Republic. We affirm that the negotiations should focus on the three issues of security, political and humanitarian aspects concurrently and as one package. Efforts should be exerted to the most in order to benefit from the given time and resources so as to remedy the root causes of the disease rather than try to treat its symptoms.
Meanwhile, we would like to affirm also that the government of Sudan is committed to the previous tripartite humanitarian agreement signed on the 5th of August 2012, to ease the sufferings of our people. We would like to refer to the declaration of the Government of Sudan on the previous cease-fire, in response to the request of the United Nations in November 2013 to enable international partners to vaccinate Sudanese children in the two areas against poliomyelitis, an agreement which was rejected by the other party, thus risking a precious opportunity to protect Sudanese children in the two areas against the danger of polio, a disease which Sudan managed to eradicate long time ago.
Dear Chairperson
Ladies and Gentlemen
We do not want to further elaborate, and we will submit our detailed proposal for this round along with our commitment to the documents which we submitted on the 25th and the 26th of April 2013 responding to the AUHIP’s document and its proposal on the two areas on the 17th of September 2012. We will proceed with the same seriousness, determination until peace is achieved, in our beloved country.
Thank you for your attention!
Wa Assalamu Alikum wa Rahmatu Allahi wa Barakatu
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Speech of Yasser Arman, on behalf of the SPLM-N Delegation to the Addis Ababa Peace Talks:
Your Excellency, President Thabo Mbeki, Chair of the AUHIP,
Your Excellency, President Abdul Salami Abubaker,
The Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Haile Menkerios,
The Representative of IGAD and the Government of Ethiopia.
Observers,
The leader of the Sudan government delegation, Ibrahim Ghandor,
Members of the two delegations,
Ladies and Gentleman of the Press and Media,
President Mbeki, please allow me to once again convey the SPLM-N’s deepest condolences on the passing of the last African prophet of peace, reconciliation, social justice and democracy, the icon of the African and humanity’s struggle, former Chairman of the African National Congress, the late President Nelson Mandela, whose spirit and courage to create a society founded on equal citizenship – away from divisions based on ethnicity and religion – is much needed in the Sudan of today. From his vision, courage and determination, the Sudanese people can draw important lessons, mindful of their own particularities and the great history of Sudan, which is part of the Nile Valley civilization, one of the oldest and greatest known civilizations that has contributed significantly to the advancement of human civilization.
Sudan is passing through a very unique situation and we arrive at the peace talks again understanding that a new perspective and attitude are required in order to usher our country into a new era of just peace, democracy, and social justice which will allow a national consensus to emerge that can lead us to and through an agreed upon nation-building program.
I would like to affirm at the opening of these talks that the SPLM-N believes in a peaceful settlement, not a military settlement. A durable and sustainable peaceful settlement, however, can only and better be achieved through national consensus. It is high time for Sudan to move away from being defined by ethnic and religious parameters and instead to enter a new social and political dispensation that is built on unity in diversity and based on our commonalities. The diversity of Sudan is a blessing to its people and the unity of Sudan can only be attained by respecting its diversity.
The SPLM-N is encouraged by the signals from our sisters and brothers on the other side of the table that it is a moment for change; it is a moment for a holistic approach; and it is a moment for democratic transformation, social justice, and the respect of human rights including the right of equal citizenship. We believe the two parties can make this moment a reality by addressing the humanitarian tragedy taking place in the Two Areas, and thereby providing a model to be applied as well in Darfur and Northern Kordofan.
Without putting an end to the humanitarian crisis caused by the denial of access for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the populations in desperate need; and without stopping the aerial and ground bombardment of innocent civilians while also refusing to release prisoners of war and political detainees, the seriousness of these talks and the usefulness of this great AUHIP forum will be questioned by the Sudanese people, and in particular those who are in the war zones. The right for humanitarian assistance should not be conditioned politically and at the same time we are ever-ready to resolve political issues as well. Resolving the humanitarian crisis shall create a conducive atmosphere to resolve the political and security issues.
As the SPLM-N has stated repeatedly, it is high time to implement the Addis Ababa Framework Agreement of 28 June 2011, which will lead to a national constitutional process and a transitional government that carries the support of the massive majority of political parties and civil societies in the opposition and in the government and that is required by the AU resolutions and the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2046.
Stopping the war from Blue Nile to Nuba Mountains to Northern Kordofan and Darfur and then addressing the root causes of war in a national constitutional conference are the only answers to Sudan’s political and economic crises. As we are speaking today, more than 70% of the national budget is being used by the government to conduct a war against its own citizens, which has resulted in crippling repercussions and war crimes. Sudan can only re-build a healthy national, regional and international relations by ending these wars and fully accepting democratic transformation.
We truly believe that the continuation of wars in the marginalized areas of Sudan will hurt the future of the unity of Sudan as it did before in the case of South Sudan. Therefore, we call upon the Sudan government to accept one forum to end the war with the Sudan Revolutionary Front; and we believe that President Thabo Mbeki, the AUHIP and Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Joint AU-UN Special Representative for Darfur, Head of UNAMID and Joint Chief Mediator, can work as one team to facilitate this new forum with the support of the African and international communities.
The SPLM-N came to Addis Ababa with an open heart and mind and with the necessary political will to amicably resolve once and for all, with our brothers and sisters from the Sudan government, the serious issues that prevent our country from becoming, once again, a truly great nation.
File photo: Presidential assistant Ibrahim Ghandour (Sudan News Agency)