Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Sudan Armed Opposition Denies Reports of European Peace Initiative

MONDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2013

SRF rebels deny reports of European initiative for peace in Sudan

November 10, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) said there is no European initiative for dialogue with Khartoum’s ruling party pointing out that its European tour aims to create conducive environment for change in Sudan.

It was reported on Sunday that the European Union plans to organise a dialogue meeting in Heidelberg, Germany, between the Sudanese government and the opposition and rebel forces including the SRF groups.

The London based Al-Hayat daily further reported that the SRF leaders who are visiting several European countries would discuss the organisation of a conference on a new constitution in Sudan with the European officials.

"There is no European initiative. The French government or any European authority did not discuss such initiative from the European Union, said Yasir Arman, SRF’s foreign relations secretary in a statement released from Paris on Sunday.

"This is an initiative of the National Congress Party and not of the European Union", he further emphasised.

Arman said that Ibrahim Gandour , a leading member of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), met with the responsible of a German institute during a visit to their country and asked them to organise a conference on the new constitution in Sudan.

He added that similar contacts had been made with a former American special envoy to Sudan and a former African president.

During their meetings with French officials the imposing rebel delegation headed by Malik Agar urged Europe to put pressures on the Sudanese government to allow humanitarian access to the civilians in the rebel held areas and to condemn the violation of human rights against peaceful protesters.

The delegation which included the leaders of the three rebel groups in Darfur, and the SPLM-N called to support a comprehensive peace process to settle the armed conflicts in South Kordofan, Blue Nile states and Darfur region.

Sudanese government and the African Union say rebel groups must negotiate separately a peaceful settlement for the two conflicts.

In Khartoum, the National Congress Party minimised the SRF visit in Europe saying it aims to begging the support of European countries after Juba stopped its support to the rebel groups.

NCP’s spokesperson, Yasir Youssef, in statements on Sunday went further to accuse the European countries that receive the rebels of supporting instability and indirectly encouraging them to continue war in Sudan.

He urged the international community to play an effective role to achieve peace and not to be supportive to the continuation of conflicts in Sudan.

He praised the position of the South Sudanese government towards the rebel groups and applauded the strong position of the Chadian president and his support for peace and stability in Sudan.

The leaders of the Sudan Liberation Movement (Minni Minawi) and the Justice and Equality Movement issued last week a joint statement condemning the president Idris Deby for gathering the Zaghawa tribal leaders in Chad to demand them to convince the rebels to lay down their arms and work for peace in Sudan.

(ST)

No comments: