Sudan: Ban 'disappointed' at failure to reach truce agreement
| Publisher | UN News Service |
| Publication Date | 18 August 2016 |
| Cite as | UN News Service, Sudan: Ban 'disappointed' at failure to reach truce agreement, 18 August 2016, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/57b8535540d.html [accessed 21 September 2016] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
18 August 2016 - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed disappointment that Sudan's warring parties failed to reach an agreement on a cessation of hostilities in Darfur and the two states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, during the last round of negotiations.
According to a statement issued last night by Mr. Ban's spokesperson, the Secretary-General “is disappointed” that no agreement was reached during the 9 to 14 August 2016 talks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Further in the statement, the Secretary-General strongly urged all the parties to resume negotiations, abide by the roadmap agreement, and refrain from any attempt to escalate the conflict in Darfur and the two areas. He also reiterated that there can be “no lasting alternative to a negotiated settlement” and stressed that a cessation of hostilities is “the first, indispensable step” towards achieving this goal.
The Secretary-General appreciated the vital role played by the African Union High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), the African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and his Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan to bring about a lasting peace in Sudan, the statement said.
On 8 August, the African Union-brokered roadmap for ending conflicts in the country was signed by Sudanese opposition groups. The Secretary-General, at that time, called on all Sudanese parties to maintain “this positive momentum” and urged them to continue working towards an agreement on a cessation of hostilities, humanitarian access to conflict-affected areas and the process for reaching a final, political settlement through an inclusive national dialogue.
