Two Areas talks at standstill

A leading opposition figure has said the Two Areas talks have collapsed. Faruq Abu Issa yesterday announced that the government had refused to sit down with the SPLM Northern Sector to negotiate directly over peace in the two areas of Blue Nile and South Kordofan. During a debate by the opposition parties yesterday in Khartoum, Abu Issa stated that the failure of negotiations between the government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), in addition to the non-implementation of the Trilateral Initiative on delivering aid to those affected in the areas of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, will lead to more suffering for the displaced and refugees in the two regions. He also held the government responsible for the failure to negotiate and for appointing a lead negotiator who is not related to those areas. Abu Issa called on the warring parties to implement the agreement and deliver humanitarian aid to displaced people, before a humanitarian disaster which international humanitarian organizations warn of occurs. Meanwhile, the delegation of the Government of Sudan for the negotiations on South Kordofan and the Blue Nile returned to Khartoum on Monday from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, after the negotiations on the two regions reached a standstill. A senior government source said that the delegation headed by Dr. Kamal Obeid returned on Monday and will hold a press conference on Tuesday to explain the details of the round of negotiations on the two regions. The source revealed that a request has been made by the African mediation delegation to sit down with the SPLM-N and try to reach to a common understanding. He also asserted that the Sudanese delegation rejected this proposal on the basis that sector has nothing to do with the issue of the two regions and that it is not recognized. He also stated that the SPLM-N was unable to convince the government delegation and the mediation on the issue of breaking its ties with South Sudan, adding that the negotiating round ended on schedule yesterday and that the government delegation has returned to Khartoum. Another government figure, the Sudanese humanitarian aid commissioner Dr. Suleiman Abdul Rahman, announced through the state news agency that the government has provided enough assistance to provide for humanitarian needs in the two areas until the next harvest. He denied rumors of high mortality rates in the two areas. The commissioner also alleged that a foreign organization had sent illegally an aircraft to Kauda to conduct surveys in areas controlled by the SPLM-N. On the other hand, the commissioner of voluntary return in South Kordofan Abdullah Ibrahim described the humanitarian situation among the displaced people of Talodi and Abu Jabeha, who are estimated to be 16,000 in number, as stable. He stated that the displaced people now live in rural neighborhoods in Abu Jabeha and that Humanitarian Aid Commission is playing the necessary the role towards assisting them. Ibrahim also asserted on the stability of the security situation in Talodi and said that the voluntary return commission has started to help the displaced people to return to Talodi.

A leading opposition figure has said the Two Areas talks have collapsed. Faruq Abu Issa yesterday announced that the government had refused to sit down with the SPLM Northern Sector to negotiate directly over peace in the two areas of Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

During a debate by the opposition parties yesterday in Khartoum, Abu Issa stated that the failure of negotiations between the government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), in addition to the non-implementation of the Trilateral Initiative on delivering aid to those affected in the areas of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, will lead to more suffering for the displaced and refugees in the two regions.

He also held the government responsible for the failure to negotiate and for appointing a lead negotiator who is not related to those areas. Abu Issa called on the warring parties to implement the agreement and deliver humanitarian aid to displaced people, before a humanitarian disaster which international humanitarian organizations warn of occurs.

Meanwhile, the delegation of the Government of Sudan for the negotiations on South Kordofan and the Blue Nile returned to Khartoum on Monday from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, after the negotiations on the two regions reached a standstill.

A senior government source said that the delegation headed by Dr. Kamal Obeid returned on Monday and will hold a press conference on Tuesday to explain the details of the round of negotiations on the two regions.

The source revealed that a request has been made by the African mediation delegation to sit down with the SPLM-N and try to reach to a common understanding. He also asserted that the Sudanese delegation rejected this proposal on the basis that sector has nothing to do with the issue of the two regions and that it is not recognized. He also stated that the SPLM-N was unable to convince the government delegation and the mediation on the issue of breaking its ties with South Sudan, adding that the negotiating round ended on schedule yesterday and that the government delegation has returned to Khartoum.

Another government figure, the Sudanese humanitarian aid commissioner Dr. Suleiman Abdul Rahman, announced through the state news agency that the government has provided enough assistance to provide for humanitarian needs in the two areas until the next harvest. He denied rumors of high mortality rates in the two areas.

The commissioner also alleged that a foreign organization had sent illegally an aircraft to Kauda to conduct surveys in areas controlled by the SPLM-N.

On the other hand, the commissioner of voluntary return in South Kordofan Abdullah Ibrahim described the humanitarian situation among the displaced people of Talodi and Abu Jabeha, who are estimated to be 16,000 in number, as stable. He stated that the displaced people now live in rural neighborhoods in Abu Jabeha and that Humanitarian Aid Commission is playing the necessary the role towards assisting them. Ibrahim also asserted on the stability of the security situation in Talodi and said that the voluntary return commission has started to help the displaced people to return to Talodi.