AU, Sudan urge South Sudanese parties to end conflict

The African Union (AU) and Sudan have emphasized the urgency of ending the conflict in South Sudan, through the conclusion of an agreement by the set deadline of August 17.

This came on Sunday at a time when Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the AU Commission, met and held talks with Prof. Ibrahim Ghandour, Foreign Minister of Sudan, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, according to a statement from AU on Monday.

During their meeting, the two officials discussed the situation in South Sudan.

The East African bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has been mediating the South Sudan peace process towards ending the more than 19 months conflict in the world's youngest nation.

With the expanded mediation IGAD-Plus now, the latest round of peace talks resumed on August 6, and the mediation has put August 17 a deadline for the parties to sign agreement towards ending the crisis in that country.

Both the Chairperson and the minister emphasized the urgency of ending the conflict, through the conclusion of an agreement by the set deadline of Aug. 17, 2015, failure of which will have far reaching consequences for South Sudan, the region and the continent as a whole, according to the statement.

They urged the parties to demonstrate the commitment and leadership required to this end.

The Chairperson reiterated AU's full support to the IGAD-led process and the importance of continued backing by the larger international community, including the UN.

The minister briefed the chairperson of the AU Commission on the impact of the unilateral sanctions imposed on Sudan, the efforts being deployed by the Sudanese government regarding the preparations for the National Dialogue announced by President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in January 2014, and the situation in Darfur.

He also briefed the chairperson on the implementation status of the 2012 Cooperation Agreement between Sudan and South Sudan facilitated by the AU High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) and the IGAD.

In particular, the minister stressed the importance of AU's renewed efforts towards the lifting of sanctions imposed on his country.

He also called for the early completion of the exit strategy for the AU/United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), and reiterated the commitment of the Sudanese authorities to ensure the successful holding of the National Dialogue, including by facilitating the participation of all stakeholders.

The chairperson of the commission recalled AU's long standing engagement in Sudan.

She reiterated AU's continued commitment to assist the Sudanese stakeholders overcome the many challenges confronting their country and meet the aspirations of their people to lasting peace, security and stability.

In this regard, she recalled that AU and its policy organs, notably the Peace and Security Council, have regularly called for the lifting of the sanctions imposed on Sudan, adding that progress in addressing the conflicts facing the country would greatly facilitate the efforts being undertaken by AUHIP.

Regarding the National Dialogue, Dlamini-Zuma underlined the imperative of ensuring that the process leading to this crucial event is conducted in a transparent and inclusive manner, so as to meet the expectations of all sections of the Sudanese society.

The chairperson acknowledged the need to develop an exit strategy for UNAMID, it being understood that such a strategy should be conceived and implemented in a manner that does not jeopardize the gains made since the deployment of the Operation.

She called for sustained efforts to implement the outstanding aspects of the 2012 Cooperation Agreement, and pledged AU's continued commitment to assist the parties in this respect. Endit