Sudanese Government, Rebel Groups Hold Peace Talks

South Sudanese refugees are served food as conflicts with rebel groups in Sudan and South Sudan have caused humanitarian challenges. (Wikimedia Commons)

Sudan’s transitional government resumed talks with representatives from the nation’s several rebel groups, including the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North (SPLM-N) and the Sudan Revolutionary Front, on October 18 in the South Sudanese capital of Juba. While the talks have previously suffered setbacks as a result of continued violence, they resumed after additional government concessions.

The transitional government of Sudan has been in power since the April coup that ousted former-President Omar al-Bashir. Since then, the Sudanese government has worked to resolve the nation’s numerous conflicts, as part of an effort to remove Sudan from the U.S. State Sponsors of Terrorism list. The Clinton administration initially added Sudan to the list, but the country has since been regarded as generally cooperative, particularly in the last few years. The designation is particularly significant as it disqualifies Sudan from receiving aid through international organizations like the International Monetary Fund.

The peace talks represent an opportunity to end violence within and between Sudan and South Sudan, which has claimed nearly two million lives and displaced millions more. UN publications regarding Sudan indicate that almost six million Sudanese need humanitarian assistance, with some two million in the Darfur region in western Sudan alone.

Current negotiations aim to resolve political disagreements, followed by humanitarian and security concerns. They began on October 14 but soon stalled after the SPLM-N threatened to withdraw from the talks after a Sudanese paramilitary force, the Rapid Support Forces, detained 16 people at a checkpoint in the South Kordofan province. The Sudanese government responded by declaring a permanent ceasefire in Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile states. As a result, the SPLM-N secretary-general, Amar Amon, agreed to resume negotiations.

The peace talks are centered around five main tracks due to the differing needs and circumstances in different regions of Sudan. The tracks are a combined deal for the South Kordofan and the Blue Nile states, one for Darfur, another for eastern Sudan, and the final two for North and Central Sudan.

Local and international organizations are supportive of the talks. South Sudan, in addition to hosting the current round of negotiations, has consistently expressed interest in establishing peace. The leader of the South Sudanese delegation, Tut Gatluak, expressed hope that the talks would continue in spite of setbacks, saying “we, as mediators, will continue working hard to help the Sudanese rivals make a breakthrough in this round of talks and we are urging all parties to continue the negotiations.” Other heads of state will also be attending the latest round of negotiations, including Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.