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KHARTOUM (sudanow.info.sd): NDP Chairman and Advisor to the Government of South Kordufan Munir Sheikh Al-Dinn: The two regions have recently witnessed a sharp acceleration on the events and a growing fierce conflict but at present, we are taking diligent steps for stopping the bloodbath in South Kordufan and Blue Nile regions.: Great local, regional and international concern is being accorded to South Kordufan and Blue Nile states. Internally, voices began getting loud calling for a peaceful solution and a lasting settlement to the problem in the two states for halting the bloodshed of innocent people and a durable peace that paves the way for development and social evolution to catch up with other parts of the country and maintenance of the gains and capabilities of the Sudan, in general, taking into account the resulting economic, social, human and ethical hemorrhage.

The international concern was reflected in UN Security Council Resolution 2046 that asks the concerned parties to reach a settlement, The regional concern was reflected in the roadmap drawn by the African Union Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AUPSC) for resolving the conflict between the two Sudanese states in the framework of the current AUHIP-sponsored negotiations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Bearing those issues in mind, (sudanow.info.sd) met with Mr. Munir Sheikh Al-Dinn, a leading political figure who ran in the last presidential election. He is also chairman of the new National Democratic Party (NDP) and is currently External Affairs Advisor to the Government of South Kordofan to which he is a native. He was asked by the magazine to cast light on ongoing efforts for resolving the conflict and on his vision of the local, regional dimensions of the issue.

QUESTION: First, how do you view the present situation in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile?

ANSWER: The two regions have of late witnessed an acute escalation of the events and an increasingly fierce war with the conflict expanding geographically. We have seen in them bloody and grave incidents, including the assassination of the speaker of South Kordofan Legislative Council, Ibrahim Balandia, and his accompanying colleagues by gangsters of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). The assassination was an attempt to undermine ongoing efforts for cementing the peace principles and to mar the values of the region that reject such acts. However, now, there are serious and diligent efforts by several parties for stopping the bloodbath in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile and finding an end to the armed rebellion and conflict. All these efforts aim at finding a radical solution that leads to a comprehensive stability in the two regions based on settlements, which we hope, will be satisfactory to the peoples of the two regions.

QUESTION: What are the parties you are referring to?

ANSWER : I mean the main parties to resolving the problem n a comprehensive way which are the Sudanese government as a first party, the political forces within the two regions, as a second party, the armed SPLM as a third party and popular and community groups as a fourth party.

QUESTION: Do you believe that these four parties could defuse the crisis for good?

ANSWER: Yes, although it is a public knowledge that there are several external parties involved in the issue of South Kordofan and the Blue Nile. There is an obvious role in this crisis by foreign powers, including South Sudan whose role is unmistakable, in addition some Western powers which have an interest of keeping the crisis going on in the two regions.

All these problems need to be addressed in addition to the settlement that has to be reached by the four parties I have just mentioned; as it is incorrect to address one side of the problem and ignore the other and the internal efforts need to be backed by external efforts.

QUESTION: We understood from the media that you have proposed application of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile. How can this be applied and what is the possibility of its success?

ANSWER: First, we believe that the Darfur settlement was reached by rallying all visions and viewpoints of the people of the region besides participation of the region’s stakeholders of all affiliation. What we need for South Kordofan and the Blue Nile is to conduct dialogue between the political and popular groups in the two regions for finding a formula that meets the aspirations and ambitions of all people. I am not proposing a duplicate of the DDPD but I mean to make use of the idea and I do not think this is difficult because the Sudan is qualified and capable of conducting such a dialogue, internally. I am not placing a condition that Doha must come in to do the job, though I do not rule out a Sudan-friendly state may sponsor the effort and as the real components of the community of the two regions are behind the conflict, the participation of all of them will certainly guarantee a radical solution to the crisis.

QUESTION: How do you view the current negotiations in Addis Ababa, especially those regarding South Kordofan and the Blue Nile?

ANSWER: This reflects willingness for reaching a settlement to the issue but we have chosen that there has to be a specific period of time before starting the negotiations with the SPLM so as to allow the people of the two regions a chance for expressing their viewpoints on the agenda of the talks and for choosing their representatives to the negotiations. For this reason, the government delegation to negotiations with the SPLM-N, led by Dr. Kamal Obaid, disconnected the negotiations, returned to the Sudan and formed a committee to take care of the dossier. That committee travelled to the two regions, met with a number of the political forces and the political and popular figures, and held extensive discussions on the issue. There are now serious consultations for enlarging the negotiating delegation and participation by as great a number of the figures of basic components of the communities of the two regions.

QUESTION: How do you assess the government delegation led by Obaid and to what extent do you trust that the negotiations would reach the desired goal?

ANSWER: It is to be indicated that there is close coordination between the government delegation and the mechanism of the parties of the two regions formed for backing the negotiations. The committee that has been formed for the purpose under Dr. Kamal Obaid is very much concerned with mustering all viewpoints and ideas and has exerted a great effort for reaching an overall vision about the agenda of the negotiations. We, the National Democratic Party, fully trust the government delegation led by Obaid who intends not to exclude anyone and until we noticed anything that raises suspicion of genuine, intentions and we believe that the efforts are so far taking the right track.

QUESTION: How do you opine the vision presented by the SPLM-N about the negotiations on South Kordofan and the Blue Nile?

ANSWER: What has been presented by the SPLM-N is not relevant to the two regions. Everybody knows that the paper that was presented by the Movement for negotiation contained a very short part, not exceeding two and a half lines, about the issues of the two regions and in general terms. In contrast, the paper dealt extensively with the political practices in the north and the Darfur issues and concentrated on questions irrelevant to the two regions. We believe that negotiations with the SPLM-N must only be confined to South Kordofan and the Blue Nile as stipulated by the UN Security Council Resolution 2046 and the African roadmap for resolving the crisis. In fact, the SPLM-N is posing itself as a party that defends the Sudan as a whole and advocates its rights for serving the interests of the powers that support it. The paper does not address the concerns of the two regions nor the aspirations and ambitions of their people. We believe it is enough of procrastination of the issue, which requires a direct agreement, and we believe that it is to the interest of everybody to sit down for direct negotiations on the basic and essential issues.

QUESTION: Some people believe that the SPLM-N will get everything it wants and that settlement will be reached with it alone. What do you think of that?

ANSWER: Although we have heard a meeting for settlement of the question was held with Yasser Arman and Mali Agar excluding us as internal political forces, this likelihood is ruled out. Ample indications show that the government intends to guarantee participation by all people. I do not believe that the Sudanese government will commit the mistake of allowing the SPLM-N to take power once again like what has occurred about South Sudan. Secondly, we believe that the internal forces that have chosen the principle of peace, distanced themselves from the war option, and engaged in partnerships with the government for the country’s public interest are the basic players in the political, security and social process in the two regions. Those forces are not of less significance that the SPLM-N and anyone who believes otherwise is greatly mistaken.

QUESTION: How do you view the forthcoming round of talks and do you expect positive results about the issue of the two regions?

ANSWER: I expect many positive things on this dossier would occur during the upcoming round. Considering the desire of the people of the two regions in reaching a settlement and the willingness by the government of Sudan to close this file for good and in view of the improvement that has occurred in the relationship with South Sudan and the regional and international calls for ending the war, we believe there is a good chance for relaxation.

QUESTION: What impact will the improvement in the relationship between Khartoum and Juba have on the negotiations related to the two regions, particularly after the oil agreement?

ANSWER: The agreement has, in fact, affected the conflict on the ground as the military operations have significantly decreased in the two regions, calm has greatly prevailed. Acts of violence in the form of assassination skirmishes here and there and targeting government units and regular forces have subsided. We consider such acts as temporary and will certainly have an impact on the forthcoming round of negotiations on the two regions and will help reach a full deal for putting an end to the conflict.

QUESTION: You have indicated international demands for ending the conflict, what is the international role on this issue? Are there certain countries of relevance to what is happening in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile?

ANSWER: There is, certainly, an international role in the issue but it is difficult to name a specific country of a direct relation to what is happening on the ground. Yet, it is a public knowledge that the Sudan has enmities with numerous Western nations and it is not ruled out that some of them would be involved in the conflict. Nonetheless, in order to deny those enemies a chance to intervene, we have to utilize all available possibilities for achieving peace and stability for our people.

QUESTION: How do you view the role of South Sudan in the issue?

ANSWER: The SPLM-N is very closely connected with the state of South Sudan due to the considerations we all know. South Sudan always constitutes a springboard to the SPLM-N for its subversive operations and provides it with a safe haven and a constant support. However, in view of the relaxation that has occurred in the relations between Khartoum and Juba and the international commitment to the two countries, we believe it is high time for South Sudan to cease support to the rebellion in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile as part of non-interference in others’ domestic affairs. In addition, as it is to the interest of the two countries to settle the disputes and safeguard their common economic and political interests in addition to other things related to the historic legacies, the issue is headed to a positive end.

End

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