Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Sudanese government and the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army North led by Abdal Aziz al-Hilu are mulling a resumption of stalled peace talks which were mediated by President Salva Kiir.
On Thursday, the Sudanese Deputy Head of Mission to South Sudan Gamal Malik Garaish and SPLM/A-N Secretary-General Amar Amom Daldom affirmed that they were ready to receive Juba’s invitation to resume talks.
They were speaking during the handing over of the nine prisoners of war from the Popular Defence Forces, who were captured inside the liberated areas controlled by the SPLM/A-N in Nuba Mountains nearly a month ago. The individuals were handed over to the government of South Sudan in Juba on Thursday.
“I want to assure that the Sudanese government is ready for negotiations in Juba because Juba is the conducive and appropriate place for achieving peace and stability in Sudan so we also want to assure our presence in Juba for the talks,” said Mr Malik.
Mr Malik added that “peace is an expensive thing and we have to compromise for the sake of Sudanese citizens.”
Daldom said his group was ready for the round table talks to pursue a lasting peace.
“We are ready for mediators to call us at any time if they call us we will come.”
Willing to support
Presidential Security Advisor, Tut Gatluak, assured the rival parties that President Salva Kiir is willing to bring lasting peace to Sudan.
Peace talks between Sudan interim government and SPLM/A-N were suspended in 2021 to allow parties to consult with their respective leaders over crucial issues, among them the demand for secularism by the opposition and the right to self-determination for the Nuba Mountains in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile State.
The matters were among the reasons which led to the withdrawal of SPLM/A-N and the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdul Wahid al Nur from the 2019 Juba peace negations, which resulted in the October 2020 agreement between the government and Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF)— a coalition of five former rebel groups.
However, the resumption of the talks will confirm the commitment to implementing the March 2021 principled agreement. This stipulated the establishment of a civil, democratic, federal state in Sudan, guaranteeing freedom of religion for all Sudanese to end the long war in Sudan.
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