South Sudan’s peace mediators meet with Sudan’s anti-war bloc in Juba

JUBA – South Sudanese mediators on Tuesday held a consultative meeting in Juba with leaders from the Sudanese Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) to discuss ways to end the conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Speaking during the opening session of the meeting, presidential advisor on security affairs and head of the South Sudan mediation Tut Gatluak said the meeting is aimed at finding a concrete solution to the deadly Sudanese conflict which the FFC opposes.

“We have to join hands together and rescue the country. We have to resolve the ongoing problem in Sudan. We are part of IGAD and part of the AU, but what is affecting Sudan can affect most of South Sudan,” Gatluak said.

The senior South Sudanese government official emphasized that his country’s is aimed at resolving the crisis and bringing the Sudanese people together once again.

“We want to sit down and play a role to resolve the problem in Sudan. Ethnic war or whatever war is not good. War has displaced people in Sudan. We have to intervene to resolve the crisis and bring together Sudanese people,” he said.

Omar El Deger, head of the FFC delegation, said they had come to South Sudan in search of a solution to the Sudanese conflict, which erupted on April 15, 2023, and has worsened the humanitarian situation in Sudan.

“We believe the step taken by South Sudan is positive to address the war situation in Sudan. The FFC firmly opposes the war and believes that it is not the solution to disagreement,” he said.

“War is not the choice of Sudanese people. We have to stop the war to open up chances for solving the humanitarian crisis that affects millions of Sudanese,” he added.

El-Deger who is also the leader of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCP) stressed the need to open up avenues for peaceful political negotiations among Sudanese forces to resolve their problems amicably through negotiations instead of bullets and artillery.

The Sudanese army has been fighting its former allies, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April. Thousands have been killed and more than five million people displaced, according to a UN estimate.

Analysts believe that Kiir is in a better position to mediate between Sudanese rivals given his government’s pass engagement and ties to Sudan.

In June, the East African regional bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) appointed Kenyan President William Ruto to lead the quartet mediation team to resolve Sudan’s conflict.

The Sudanese government however rejected the Kenyan-led IGAD initiative, accusing Ruto of maintaining strategic relations with the RSF, an allegation Kenya denied.