The Position of the SPLM-N on the African Union/UNSC Resolutions “Roadmap”

The Position of the SPLM-N on the African Union/UNSC Resolutions “Roadmap”
After consultation with the SPLM-N leadership and with the participation of the SPLM-N Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and the Secretary General, the SPLM-N resolved the following on the African Union/UNSC Resolution 2046 dated May 2, 2012.
1)    The SPLM-N welcomes the Security Council Resolution and the efforts exerted by the African Union and the United Nations Security Council to stop the war within Sudan and between the two Sudans.
2)    The SPLM-N believes with a deep conviction that a comprehensive peaceful settlement is the best choice for the Sudanese people and the parties to the conflict.
3)    The entry point for the comprehensive peaceful settlement in Sudan is for the parties to address urgently and seriously the humanitarian crisis in the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile immediately and to put into effect the tripartite agreement of the United Nations, African Union and the Arab League, which was signed by the SPLM-N long ago and avoided by Khartoum using different tricks to buy time.  And in this regard, the SPLM-N is ready for a humanitarian cessation of hostilities that will enable the UN, African Union and Arab League to implement their proposal.
4)    It is worth mentioning that General Bashir is taking more than 400,000 IDPs in Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile as hostages, denying them access to humanitarian aid and bombarding them on a daily basis.  He is personally preparing for the new last summer offensive attempt as came openly in his speech last Friday in Talodi/Nuba Mountains, asking his forces to launch a new offensive and to reach Kauda for him to pray this Friday extremely expensive prayers that are on the skulls, blood and tears of civil populations knowing that this area is heavily populated.  For sure, the SPLA-N will defend the civil populations.  It is clear that the practical response of General Bashir to the Security Council is to widen the crisis not to solve it.
5)    The only peaceful settlement known and loved by General Bashir is a piecemeal solution approach and he already deserves to be in the Guinness World Record for violating more than 43 peace agreements with the Sudanese people and for committing war crimes.  He signed the agreements with or without the African Union, Arab League or United Nations and we do not want to add a new one.  This is our only reservation, which we will be delighted and more than ready to discuss it and to consult with the United Nations and the African Union.
6)    It is apparently clear that it is Khartoum that fought South Sudan, South Kordofan/Nuba Mountains, Blue Nile, Darfur, Eastern Sudan and marginalized rural areas, farmers, workers, professionals, women and youth.  The real lasting solution will be dependent on the transformation and a new constitutional arrangement that will include transforming the center of power in Khartoum and that would address the re-structuring of power in Khartoum and would establish a new system based on equal citizenship within a framework of a comprehensive peaceful settlement.
7)    We need to remind ourselves that it is General Bashir who denounced and disowned the Addis Ababa Framework Agreement of June 28, 2011; banned the SPLM-N; removed an elected Governor of Blue Nile; committed war crimes in the Two Areas; and targeted, killed, sentenced to death, and imprisoned hundreds of the SPLM-N members on political, religious and ethnic grounds.  Last week alone, he arrested more than 50 of our leaders and members who are working peacefully.  All of that was carried out after the June 28th Framework Agreement.  It needs to register that impunity and appeasement can bring more human rights violations and war crimes as demonstrated in General Bashir’s speech in Talodi.
8)    The SPLM-N, being a committed member of the Sudan Revolutionary Front, is calling for an urgent meeting of the Sudan Revolutionary Front leadership council to discuss, among other issues, the Security Council Resolution as well as consulting with all of the opposition groups and the friends of the SPLM-N in Sudan and outside Sudan to strengthen the path and opportunities for a lasting comprehensive peaceful settlement.
Yasir Arman
Secretary General, SPLM-N
May 7, 2012