A three-day Sudanese peace talk between the transitional government and the armed opposition Sudan Liberation Movement-North, led by Abdul-Aziz Adam al-Hilu, started in Juba on Wednesday.
Addressing the peace conference, president of South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit urged both parties to ‘grip the soul of dialogue for peace and unity to evade war.’
‘‘With the start of this peace talks, I call upon all the parties to embrace the spirit of dialogue and let their attention shift to peace instead of thinking of war. I believe that war will never save us with anything. You have seen [how] we fought for 21 years and we don’t achieve what we wanted,” he warned.
He added: “Although we ran away from the South as an independent state- that was not our objective. Our objective was that Sudan must become a new Sudan in the name that should be a country to every body and that no one should be separated from the other.”
Challenges leaders
He urged the parties to think about their people who have suffered for a long time to the extent that they do not have basic needs such as clothing and housing.
‘‘If you think about your people, you will then mark the right decision by whatever conditions that you’re pushed to. You will not think about the conditions that people want you to do but the suffering of the people and do the right thing and the right thing is the answer that the people want.”
The head of the ruling sovereign council of Sudan Gen Abdel-Fattah Burhan, said there was need to finish the peace process in order for the Sudanese people to have a lasting peace.
“We want to make Sudan for all its citizens regardless of their religions and identity,” Burhan said
Burhan also agreed to have the peace talks with an open heart and for the people to accept peace.
He described Juba as the door for peace since South Sudan and Sudan are one
“Time has come for the youth to take over from us including the prime minister and Kiir,” he said, “I call upon the Sudanese at the border not harm any civilians on the border.’’
Prime Minister of Sudan Dr. Abdel Hamdok stated that the Sudanese people have to learn on to co-operate among themselves especially during this period.
Hamdok said that the aim of the peace talks was to put an end to conflict in the country
“Freedom, peace, Justice and the wellbeing of the Sudanese people is a collective responsibility between the two parties…Enough for violence against the people in Darfur, Kordofar and the blue Nile people to embrace peace,’’ he declared.
The parties signed a declaration of principles in March with the Government agreeing to separate religion from States.