Some progress is made in talks in Addis Ababa aimed at ending civil strife
in both Sudan and South Sudan. But lasting peace in either conflict remains
elusive, writes Salah Khalil
20 February, 2014
Talks between the governments and rebels of Sudan and South Sudan got
underway in Addis Ababa a week ago, with UN and African negotiators trying
to mediate a political settlement to the ongoing conflicts in both
countries.
In the first set of talks, delegates of the Sudanese government and the
Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) met to discuss the crisis
in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile. Leading the Khartoum delegation was
presidential assistant Ibrahim Ghandour, while Yasir Arman led the
SPLM-North delegation.
During the talks, SPLM-N negotiators pressed for a comprehensive solution
for all the strife-ridden areas of Sudan, Darfur included. The government
refused to accommodate the request, preferring instead to handle each set of
problems separately.
Officials of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), meanwhile, reiterated
that the recent initiative by President Omar Al-Bashir had the potential of
restoring peace all over Sudan.
Earlier talks between Khartoum and the SPLM-N collapsed with both sides
accusing the other of inflexibility.
One of the reasons for the failure of earlier talks is that the SPLM-N
insisted on political reforms allowing more partisan and civil society
involvement in decision-making.
For its part, the NCP delegation said that Khartoum was fully committed to
Security Council Resolution 2046.
Government negotiators added that the humanitarian agreement Khartoum signed
with the SPLM-N on 4 August 2012 is still valid and can go into effect
without further delay.
Both the NCP and the SPLM-N agreed to a ceasefire and the delivery of
humanitarian relief to conflict zones. But observers fear that promises made
at the negotiating table may not lead to substantive action unless the
international community brings more pressure to bear on both sides.
A lasting political settlement would be harder to negotiate, but both the
government and the SPLM-N promised to bring rival proposals to the table and
discuss a compromise solution addressing the underlying causes of the
strife.
African mediator Thabo Mbeki had to interfere in previous rounds of talks to
ensure that both sides would continue to seek a political settlement despite
the repeated eruption of hostilities.
The African Union's Peace and Security Council called on the international
community, the US, the EU and the IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on
Development) countries to pressure both sides into signing and implementing
a peace agreement.
In a related development, Mohamed Bin Shambas, joint representative of the
EU and the UN in Darfur, held talks with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni
in an effort to reach an agreement that may end the decade-long war in
Darfur. Current efforts are geared towards bringing some of the factions
that have not signed the Doha peace agreement to agree to its terms.
Meanwhile, seven men of the 11 held by Juba on charges of staging a coup
against President Salva Kiir arrived in Addis Ababa to take part in the
negotiations between the Juba government and the rebel factions led by
former Vice President Riek Machar.
Juba is still holding four others in prison on the same charges, including
Pagan Amum, the former secretary general of South Sudan's ruling party.
Despite the ongoing peace talks in Addis Ababa, fighting between the
supporters of Kiir and the factions loyal to Machar continued unabated in
various parts of the country.
Speaking for the released seven, former justice minister John Luk Jok
thanked IGAD negotiators for their efforts and promised to support the
African mediated peace initiative for South Sudan. The released men urged
Juba to release the remaining four prisoners, saying that their
incarceration may hamper the chances for peace.
The seven men said they would attend negotiations as a "third party", to
urge an inclusive political settlement. They pointed out that civil society,
women, youth and intellectuals must have a say in the current debate over
the country's future.
Talks between Kiir's government and the rebels supporting Machar ran into
several obstacles, including the repeated intervention of Uganda in South
Sudan.
Differences between SPLM leaders, which led to the current crisis, escalated
in the past few months due to attempts by Kiir to purge the SPLM of his
opponents and promote younger members who are more loyal to him.
But at the root of the current conflict are issues of tribal rivalries and
control of the country's oil-rich areas. As the conflict between the
president and his former vice president took on tribal overtones, observers
expect talks aiming to bring peace and prosperity to Africa's newest nation
to be long and arduous.