October 12, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The United Kingdom Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan said his country is supportive for the resumption of political talks between Sudanese government and opposition groups within the framework of the African Union Roadmap.
- The UK special envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Christopher Trott speaks to reporters in Kigali, Rwanda, January 21, 2018 (New Times photo)
Christopher Trott made his remarks Thursday following a meeting with the Sudanese Presidential Assistant Faisal Hassan Ibrahim to discuss the resumption of peace talks after a recent proposal by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) and Chief Mediator Thabo Mbeki to amend a Roadmap signed in 2016.
"Pleased to have had the chance to discuss the latest AUHIP proposals with Dr Faisal. We want to see real progress in the Road Map framework," said Trott in a Twit he released after the meeting.
The British envoy further told reporters in Khartoum that he would fly to Addis Ababa where he would meet Mbeki to discuss the next steps on the peace process in Sudan.
The UK seeks, on behalf of the Troika countries, to push the Sudanese parties to move forward in the unfruitful peace talks that have continued in its current form of ’one process two tracks’ since 2014.
The American administration which was the main facilitator now reduced its interest in the Sudanese file to focusing on ways to bring Khartoum to implement democratic reforms and ensure freedoms, through bilateral talks on the normalization of bilateral relations.
The Sudanese official assured the visiting diplomat of the government’s keenness to achieve peace and stability in the country through a negotiated solution.
Recently the opposition alliance Sudan Call said the AUHIP chair proposed to ’update’ the Roadmap and to cancel the national dialogue preparatory meeting from the signed peace plan because it had been already done.
But the Sudan Call says they do not recognize the October 2016 National Dialogue Conference. Also, they call for the implementation of the confidence-building measures agreed in the roadmap such as the release of political detainees and prisoners of war and to ensure freedoms.
The presidency in Khartoum said the meeting also discussed the delivery of humanitarian aid to the affected civilians and the government’s efforts for a permanent ceasefire.
Khartoum last week said it accepts a UN proposal to deliver humanitarian assistance to civilians in the rebel-controlled areas in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
