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Federal Foreign Office welcomes signing of the Roadmap Agreement by the Sudanese opposition and calls for a swift peace process
A spokesperson for the Federal Foreign Office issued the following statement today (9 August):
We welcome the Roadmap Agreement signed in Addis Ababa yesterday by representatives of several Sudanese opposition parties and rebel groups, in which the government and opposition in the Sudan committed jointly to a peace process plan. This agreement is an important step towards ending the fighting and bringing about lasting reconciliation.
The two sides must now act quickly to ensure that the weapons are finally silenced and people in the areas affected are granted access to humanitarian assistance. It is good that the government and the armed opposition are entering into concrete negotiations on this today.
Background information:
The African Union, led by Thabo Mbeki, have been mediating in the domestic Sudanese conflicts in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan since 2012. In March 2016, Thabo Mbeki put forward a Roadmap which set out a plan for further peace negotiations. The Roadmap was initially only signed by the government, while the opposition has refused to do so until now. Yesterday’s signing by opposition leaders paved the way for concrete peace negotiations.
The negotiations between the government and armed rebels begin today in Addis Ababa. The aim is to bring about a ceasefire and humanitarian access to the conflict zones in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan. Germany is supporting the mediation process led by the African Union on the ground.
The German Government has strongly supported this mediation process and the work of Thabo Mbeki since 2012. The signing of the Roadmap is a decisive breakthrough in the efforts to resolve these conflicts. Together with Norway, Britain, the US and the EU, Germany welcomes this agreement: www.khartum.diplo.de
Germany will continue the dialogue with the government and opposition in the Sudan in order to support the peace process and bring about lasting reconciliation. The Federal Foreign Office has charged the Berghof Foundation and the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik - German Institute for International and Security Affairs with assisting the peace mediation efforts in the Sudan. Furthermore, Germany is involved in UNAMID, the United Nations peace mission in Darfur.