SPLM-N: Talks with Sudan’s government must resume

The leadership council of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) has reversed a decision not to participate in talks with the Sudanese government and has called for a new body to be elected to represent the people of the Nuba Mountain region.

The announcement comes after the Nuba Mountain Liberation Council (NMLC) said last week that it would be suspending its participation in the negotiations until the internal rift within the SPLM-N had been resolved. Last month, an internal feud surfaced when the SPLM-N’s Deputy Chairman and Chairman of NMLC, Abdul Aziz Al Hilu resigned from the leadership and accused the movement’s Secretary General Yasir Arman of ignoring demands for the self-determination of the Nuba Mountain region to be included in negotiations with the Sudanese government.

Read: Sudan’s opposition leader vows to contain leadership differences

Attempts to resolve the differences between the two factions in the SPLM-N broke down after five days of talks.  On 25 March, NMLC announced its support of Al Hilu’s demand for self-determination and relieved Arman from his position as secretary-general and chief negotiator.

In a statement to the Sudan Tribune website Monday, SPLM-N chairman Malik Agar criticised Al-Hilu who he said had been appointed by the movement’s leadership, but had overstepped his authority. He declared that the NMLC group had discussed national issues that did not fall within its powers.

He claimed the regional body attempted to undermine the powers of the national movement and stressed that the move caused severe damage to its internal unity and its political reputation. “At best, the NMLC can offer recommendations and observations to the national organs [of the Movement] after it approves its regulations and discusses its issues,” he said.

Agar accused the NMLC of setting itself up as a “parallel leadership body” without any constitutional or legal powers, saying Al Hilu’s resignation is rejected and the “NMLC has no right to discuss or make decisions”.

Meanwhile, one of the Sudanese government’s chief negotiators, Amin Hassan Omar, has said he would prefer to negotiate directly with Abdel Aziz Al Hilu of the Nuba Movement. The state-minister at the Sudanese presidency said in his view a change in the negotiating team might help to kick start the talks.

We are optimistic that negotiations will be easier (with a new negotiating team) because the previous delegation lacked seriousness in the negotiation on the determined agenda. Actually, they were seeking political gains unrelated to the two areas

Omer said.

Some ten rounds of talks brokered by African Union mediation have failed to resolve the armed conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states which erupted in June 2011. The outbreak of violence followed the referendum vote by South Sudan to secede from Sudan without resolving the special status concessions that were given to the two areas under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in Naivasha, Kenya in 2005.

The SPLM-N are calling for greater autonomy for the two areas but are asking the government to allow 20% of humanitarian aid to be passed through Asosa in Ethiopia. The Sudanese government have rejected the request and insist all humanitarian aid should be delivered via Khartoum.