A member of Sudan’s Forces for Freedom and Change-Democratic Bloc (FFC-DB) on Monday said South Sudan remains the most conducive place to hold Sudanese talks.
The FFC-DB was formed in November 2022 and consists of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) led by Jibril Ibrahim, the Sudan Liberation Movement faction headed by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM), the Democratic Justice Alliance chaired by former rebel official Mubarak Ardol, and the mainstream Democratic Unionist Party.
The alliance also includes the Republican Party, the Beja Nazirs Council wing chaired by Sayed Tirik, the National Movement Forces coalition of former Darfur leader El Tijani Sese, and a number of breakaway groups from mainstream political parties.
A delegation of the FFC-DB is currently in the South Sudanese capital, Juba for peace consultations organized by President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
Mubarak Ardol, leader of the Democratic Justice Alliance and leading member of the Freedom and Change-Democratic Bloc (FFC-DB), said: “It is not a preference among neighboring countries, but it (South Sudan) is more aware of the Sudanese problem because Juba and Khartoum, 15 years ago, were one country.”
The Sudanese politician further said a consultative meeting between the Sudanese parties that began in Juba last Saturday, will try to find an end to the conflict in Sudan.
Ardol affirmed that the Democratic Bloc was committed to ending the fighting in Sudan, indicating that ending the war was different from ending the fighting.
“Ending the war is a political process that takes a long time in which all political forces intervene by discussing the form and levels of governance, in addition to addressing the effects of the war after the return of the displaced and refugees,” he said.
He acknowledged that Juba succeeded in achieving peace between the government and the Sudanese armed struggle movements through the Juba Peace Agreement and thanked the people and the Government of South Sudan for supporting the peace process in Sudan.
Ardoul said that all Sudanese political forces trusted the South Sudan mediation capacity to bring peace to Sudan. He defended Juba against recent accusations by certain parties that it was supporting a party in the Sudanese conflict.
“Those who published such information should not publish it again because Juba now hosts Sudanese refugees, in addition to the possibility of peace in Sudan. Such information does not serve the interests of the Sudanese people in any way,” Ardol stated.
He called on the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to halt the war for the sake of the Sudanese people.