Khartoum – (Muawad – Najat) Head of the AU Liaison Office in Sudan, Ambassador Mahmoud Kane has commented on the recent informal meeting between the Sudanese

government and two armed groups from Darfur i.e.  (JEM) and (SLM-MM) is not the first of its kind as there were other rounds aiming at addressing the differences. He added that the previous rounds achieved a bit progress based on 2016 AU roadmap. He pointed out that there were ups and downs in those informal talks; but the parties to the negotiation are agreeing in principle on reaching a peaceful solution which is possible.
Kane affirmed, in exclusive interview with Sudan Vision to be published later, that Darfur is evolved and that was testified by the assessment missions of the African Union which said that there are no any armed clashes between the government forces and the Darfur armed movements due to the successful firearms collection campaign launched by the government, so the situations in Darfur are very positive security wise.
He said that the only remaining crises were ones of development and of internally displaced persons, considering that the voluntary return of the IDPs to their home villages requires providing the basic services and projects besides planning the IDPs camps to become residential areas for those who do not want to go back to their home villages.
On the two areas talks mediated by the AUHIP on the light of changing the SPLM-N leadership on the talks, Kane said that Al-Hillu might be pragmatic with strategic thinking, unlike Agar/Arman whose approach were tactical. He affirmed the SPLM-N stances in the previous rounds of talks were adamant especially in regard to the access of the humanitarian assistance to the rebel held areas.
On Sudan’s role in fighting terrorism, Kane said that the international community in general and the AU in particular emphasize the importance of Sudan in the issue of illegal migration and intercontinental crimes, so it is proposed that Khartoum be a focal point of the Centre of Immigration. He added that the Special Envoy of the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson, Amira Al-Fadil is doing a good job in the issue within the whole continent.
On the national dialogue process, Kane said that it brought the people round the table considering that its outcomes belong to the people and not to the government. He hoped that the holdouts join the process, adding that Sudan could play a greater role if it managed to overcome the current obstacles which he described as possible to be resolved by full implementation of the national dialogue outcomes.
Full text of the interview to be published in our upcoming issues.