Move Peace Talks Inside Sudan
13 October, 2019
Sudan government and armed movements sign Juba Declaration last September
With peace talks slated to kick off Monday in Juba many questions are still up in the air that have not been debated seriously yet, but more important is the venue of these talks.
Neighboring countries have for variety of reasons been involved in Sudan’s conflicts and this is attributed mainly to the painful fact that Sudanese political forces have failed to agree on a minimum national consensus. That have reached new climax during the Ingaz regime, where even perceived opponents were denied not only the margin of freedom and association, but even to stay into the government payroll.
The ruthlessness of the regime provided an opportunity for those opposing it to go around in various capitals claiming the high moral ground against a brutal regime. The regime on its part was looking into foreign interest as a way to shop around and avoid being pressured to come to serious negotiations.
The popular uprising that have succeeded in toppling the Ingaz regime have sent two important messages: that it is through peaceful means, not resorting to guns and working inside the country, not in foreign capitals that have brought the Ingaz regime to its knees.
The removal of the previous regime has undermined the argument that there is need to resort to arms to fight a brutal regime that does not allow for dissent and a different opinions or ideas to be aired. More important moving peace talks inside Sudan is honoring to the sacrifices carried out by many Sudanese and beefing up issues of peace, accommodating various views and make the political debate on the future of the country and its people aired and felt inside the country, not behind closed doors in foreign capitals.
As part of confidence building measures it has already been agreed that those rulings against politicians being tried or imprisoned have those rulings being rescinded and allow for those groups carrying arms to start transform into political organizations. After all those resorting to arms claim that they have been forced to do so because of lack of freedom. That is no longer the case.
Sudan needs to make it clear that eventually these peace talks have to be moved inside the country following the kick-off of their start in Juba. Latest developments make such a decision a must. Juba is seen a suitable venue for three main reasons: it is a way to pay back Khartoum for its role in reaching out for South Sudan peace deal last year, that it has some influence on some rebel groups mainly SPLM-N led by Abdel Aziz Al-Hilu and that it has some ties with western countries notably the United States.
This last one in fact is one of the reasons why the issue of the venue should be reviewed. With the civil war that ravaged South Sudan over the past five years the mother SPLM no longer enjoys that sympathy and high moral ground it used to have. Moreover, with the dragging of feet to implement the inked peace deal and resurfacing of corruption charges against officials, South Sudan seems to be heading into a collision course with Washington. “We’re not prepared to continue to see delays, we’re not prepared to continue to hear arguments for why more time must be given,” Bryan Hunt, Sudan and South Sudan office director at the State Department reportedly told reporters at the US Institute of Peace.
"Our view is that if the government is not formed by November 12, we’re going to need to re-evaluate the relationship between the United States and South Sudan,” he added.
That is a clear warning that sanctions against the country are in the offing. Juba may be thinking that by succeeding in bringing in Sudan peace it may rebrand itself in a positive way. It was the same way former President Omar Al-Bashir was thinking when he intervened into South Sudan conflict.
The lesson learnt whatever successes any regime achieves in diplomacy and foreign dealings will not supersede or eclipse domestic problems.
Juba has the full right to look for its interests the way it likes and that is applicable to any one of the neighboring countries, which is the natural thing to do. In one of his earlier statements Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok stated clearly that Sudan’s foreign relations should be based on serving its interests first and foremost.
The question now what is his government program to achieve those interests.
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