March 22, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese foreign minister Ali Karti
has revealed that his country wants a ceasefire as a prerequisite to
allowing aid into the war-battered state of South Kordofan.
- FILE - Sudan’s foreign minister Ali Karti (REUTERS)
Karti made his statement during a meeting he held on Wednesday with
the visiting United Nations (UN) special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan,
Haile Menkerios, in the capital Khartoum, according to Sudan’s official
news agency SUNA.
The meeting, SUNA said, discussed an initiative
proposed by the UN, African Union (AU) and the Arab League (AL) to
allow delivery of aid in South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
The two states on the borders with neighbouring South Sudan are the
scene of a conflict between government forces and rebels of the Sudan
People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLMN). The conflict, which erupted
last year, has displaced more than 417,000 people, according to UN
figures.
Sudan is yet to give its blessings to the tripartite initiative
unlike the rebels which announced they had agreed to it. The Sudanese
government said it has reservations on some parts and referred the
proposal to a technical committee to study it and produce a report on
it.
The committee’s report, according to a statement made on Tuesday by
Sudan’s Minister of Social Welfare Amira Al-Fadil, will determine the
government’s final response.
SUNA reported that the meeting between Menkerios and Karti had addressed Khartoum’s reservations over the initiative.
According to SUNA, the UN envoy said he “understands” Sudan’s
reservations. He was keen, however, to reassure the Sudanese minister
that the humanitarian situation would not be exploited to exert pressure
on the government.
Menkerios was quoted as saying that the initiative is motivated by
desire to provide aid to all areas whether controlled by the government
or the rebels. He added that efforts were being divided between finding a
compromise that would take Khartoum’s reservations under consideration
and seeking an end to hostilities on the ground.
For his part, Karti emphasised the importance of ceasing hostilities
and military operations so the humanitarian situation would be less
risky.
Sudan’s top diplomat went on to tell Menkerios that the government
was still studying its options vis-à-vis the reservations over the
tripartite initiative. He promised that Khartoum would soon declare its
final position.
Sudan initially rejected demands for allowing international aid
groups into South Kordofan and Blue Nile but this position appears to
have petered out.
The rebels called during a meeting held in the Ethiopian capital
Addis Ababa earlier this month with international envoys, including
Menkerios and US Special Envoy to Sudan Princeton Lyman, for delivering
aid into the two states with or without Khartoum’s consent.
SPLMN secretary-general, Yasir Arman, later said that his group is
ready “for a humanitarian secession [cessation] of hostilities whenever
the modalities of delivering humanitarian assistance require it.”
(ST)
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