PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Sudan: Sudan keen to have AU on board National Dialogue conference
Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) – Sudan is keen to bring the African Union (AU) on board what it considers an all-inclusive National Dialogue Conference which, if it fails, might, throw the country into chaos.
However, the continental body failed to show up in the opening session, despite a formal invitation by Khartoum.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday said Foreign Relations Minister, Ibrahim Ghandour, would leave for South Africa on Wednesday for a meeting with Thabo Mbeki, former South African President and Chief Mediator on Sudanese affairs.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadiq said Prof. Ghandour, during the one-day visit, would discuss with the head of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) any role the Panel could play for the success of the national dialogue that began in Khartoum on Saturday.
Mbeki was not available for the opening session of the conference with observers attributing this to his support for a pre-dialogue meeting.
The AU had proposed such a meeting in Addis Ababa between Khartoum government and the opposition political parties and armed movements.
But Khartoum, fearful of what it described as "internationalization of domestic affairs", opposed such a pre-dialogue meeting, arguing that the national dialogue must be held only inside Sudan without any external intervention.
However, there is now an unconfirmed report that Khartoum would accept that meeting in the Ethiopian capital and the Foreign Minister's trip to South Africa may be coming in this context.
A Sudanese political analyst last week warned that the National Dialogue Conference was the last chance for the Sudan to remedy the complexity of its socio-economic and political problems. Failure to do so, the expert warned, Sudan might fall into the trap of repeating the Somalia story.
Almost a year ago, president Bashir of Sudan, proposed holding this conference which, he said, would bring in all Sudanese stakeholders and pledged that its findings would be binding on the government.
Invitations were sent to all concerned parties and organizations, including the AU commissioner, Delamini Zuma, who diplomatically apologized, understandably as one of its offshoot, was not happy with Khartoum ignoring its proposal for a preparatory meeting to the conference that kicked off on Saturday in Khartoum.
The government is also opening up, saying political parties could now hold meetings and gathering and the press was instructed to air out all concerns of political parties and civil society organizations without any restrictions save that stipulated by the law, meaning no security crack down.
However, with the process due to continue for three months, to review questions of identity, peace, freedoms, political organizations, system of government and foreign relations, officials are arguing that it was not too late to bring in or reach out for rejectionist groups and organizations, including the African Union’s leader, Thabo Mbeki.
-0- PANA MO/MA 12Oct2015
However, the continental body failed to show up in the opening session, despite a formal invitation by Khartoum.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday said Foreign Relations Minister, Ibrahim Ghandour, would leave for South Africa on Wednesday for a meeting with Thabo Mbeki, former South African President and Chief Mediator on Sudanese affairs.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadiq said Prof. Ghandour, during the one-day visit, would discuss with the head of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) any role the Panel could play for the success of the national dialogue that began in Khartoum on Saturday.
Mbeki was not available for the opening session of the conference with observers attributing this to his support for a pre-dialogue meeting.
The AU had proposed such a meeting in Addis Ababa between Khartoum government and the opposition political parties and armed movements.
But Khartoum, fearful of what it described as "internationalization of domestic affairs", opposed such a pre-dialogue meeting, arguing that the national dialogue must be held only inside Sudan without any external intervention.
However, there is now an unconfirmed report that Khartoum would accept that meeting in the Ethiopian capital and the Foreign Minister's trip to South Africa may be coming in this context.
A Sudanese political analyst last week warned that the National Dialogue Conference was the last chance for the Sudan to remedy the complexity of its socio-economic and political problems. Failure to do so, the expert warned, Sudan might fall into the trap of repeating the Somalia story.
Almost a year ago, president Bashir of Sudan, proposed holding this conference which, he said, would bring in all Sudanese stakeholders and pledged that its findings would be binding on the government.
Invitations were sent to all concerned parties and organizations, including the AU commissioner, Delamini Zuma, who diplomatically apologized, understandably as one of its offshoot, was not happy with Khartoum ignoring its proposal for a preparatory meeting to the conference that kicked off on Saturday in Khartoum.
The government is also opening up, saying political parties could now hold meetings and gathering and the press was instructed to air out all concerns of political parties and civil society organizations without any restrictions save that stipulated by the law, meaning no security crack down.
However, with the process due to continue for three months, to review questions of identity, peace, freedoms, political organizations, system of government and foreign relations, officials are arguing that it was not too late to bring in or reach out for rejectionist groups and organizations, including the African Union’s leader, Thabo Mbeki.
-0- PANA MO/MA 12Oct2015
