Sudan Peace Talks Stumble over Division of Powers with Khartoum

Arab World

June 27th, 8:27am

Asharq Al-Awsat

The peace talks began in October in South Sudan and aim to put an end to conflicts in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan, where rebels have fought bloody campaigns against their marginalisation by Khartoum | AFP

Peace talks between the transitional government of Sudan and a rebel group in the south of the country have stumbled over the delegation of powers from Khartoum, according to the group. Talks in Juba, South Sudan, between the government and the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Sudan-North (SPLM-North) were adjourned in mid-June due to disagreements that were not specified at the time. SPLM-North chief negotiator Amar Amon said that while many topics related to the economy, security and politics were resolved, crucial issues like the delegation of powers between the central government and the regions were not. “Resolving these issues is part of addressing the root causes of the Sudanese problems,” Amon said in an interview. The SPLM-North, established in the states of Kordofan-South and Blue Nile, is pushing for a decentralized political system. The powers wielded by the central government in Khartoum are the cause of the conflicts that have afflicted the country for more than 60 years, Amon said, AFP reported. These conflicts included the war of independence with South Sudan and the recurrent violent episodes in the regions of South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur. Another crucial issue that had not been resolved was of the integration of the country’s armed groups into the Sudanese army, he said. “We agreed that major national issues should be subjected to popular referendum in future,” he said.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3049716/sudan-peace-talks-stumble-over-division-powers-khartoum