We urge the SPLM-N to allow humanitarian assistance
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Elisabeth Janaina
Mar 3, 2017, 1:21:48 AM3/3/17
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We urge the SPLM-N to allow humanitarian assistance
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By Steven Koutsis, Charge d’Affaires, U.S. Embassy, Khartoum
The United States has long supported international efforts led by the
African Union to mediate an agreement between the Government of Sudan
and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement- North (SPLM-N) to bring an
end to fighting in the “Two Areas” of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile.
In 2016, both sides signed the AU Roadmap Agreement, under which they
recommitted to simultaneous talks toward agreements to cease
hostilities and provide humanitarian assistance. Unfortunately, the
parties have been unable to come to an agreement on the method of
delivery to provide humanitarian aid in opposition held areas. This
impasse is hurting the Sudanese people living in areas controlled by
the SPLM-N, as well as blocking all of Sudan from moving forward with
a peace and reconciliation plan sponsored by the African Union.
In order to break this impasse on an agreement and facilitate
much-needed humanitarian assistance, the United States has offered to
deliver humanitarian medical assistance to the people in SPLM-N
controlled areas. Our offer to oversee and implement these deliveries
intends to give confidence to the SPLM-N that the Government of Sudan
would not be able to control or block aid provided under this
mechanism. The Government of Sudan has agreed to this proposal, but as
of yet, the SPLM-N has not allowed the proposal for humanitarian
access to go forward.
To be clear, the United States is ready to begin delivering medical
supplies and vaccinations to the people within SPLM-N controlled areas
of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states. While the supplies would be
inspected by Government of Sudan customs authorities at a port of
entry, they would remain in the custody of United States at all times
until delivered to the opposition held areas.
The method of delivering humanitarian assistance to the Two Areas was
the last remaining roadblock to the signing of a cessation of
hostilities agreement last August, bringing an end to decades of
fighting. The agreement would include international monitoring and
agreement on full access for all other humanitarian assistance to be
delivered by international agencies to the SPLM-N held areas. This
would mean civilians in dire need would begin seeing food and other
humanitarian supplies arriving in their areas very quickly.
Given current predictions of emergency-level food insecurity likely to
occur within the next two months in SPLM-N controlled areas, an
agreement to allow humanitarian access to begin now is critical to
save lives. In addition to the urgent need for humanitarian
assistance, as long as there is no jointly agreed and monitored
cessation of hostilities, and as long as opposing forces remain in
close proximity to each other, there will continue to be tensions and
skirmishes which will only inflict greater harm on civilian
populations.
The United States urges the SPLM-N to remove political conditions
preventing humanitarian assistance from reaching populations in need
and allow rapid deployment of humanitarian aid to civilians in the
areas it controls. This agreement would not preclude—and indeed we
would strongly encourage—separate arrangements for necessary medical
evacuations or prisoner exchanges to be coordinated by other parties
through a third party nation.
The Government of Sudan also has a role to play in making this process
work by addressing the root causes of the conflict. In order to
realize sustainable peace, all parties must engage in a genuine
political process as an alternative to war. This will require the
Government of Sudan to create an environment that is conducive to
freedom of expression and full political participation by both armed
and unarmed opposition in and outside of Sudan.
The views expressed in the 'Comment and Analysis' section are solely
the opinions of the writers. The veracity of any claims made are the
responsibility of the author not Sudan Tribune.
If you want to submit an opinion piece or an analysis please email it
to com...@sudantribune.com
Sudan Tribune reserves the right to edit articles before publication.
Please include your full name, relevant personal information and
political affiliations.
Article
Comments (0)
email Email
print Print
pdfSave
separation
increase
decrease
separation
separation
By Steven Koutsis, Charge d’Affaires, U.S. Embassy, Khartoum
The United States has long supported international efforts led by the
African Union to mediate an agreement between the Government of Sudan
and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement- North (SPLM-N) to bring an
end to fighting in the “Two Areas” of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile.
In 2016, both sides signed the AU Roadmap Agreement, under which they
recommitted to simultaneous talks toward agreements to cease
hostilities and provide humanitarian assistance. Unfortunately, the
parties have been unable to come to an agreement on the method of
delivery to provide humanitarian aid in opposition held areas. This
impasse is hurting the Sudanese people living in areas controlled by
the SPLM-N, as well as blocking all of Sudan from moving forward with
a peace and reconciliation plan sponsored by the African Union.
In order to break this impasse on an agreement and facilitate
much-needed humanitarian assistance, the United States has offered to
deliver humanitarian medical assistance to the people in SPLM-N
controlled areas. Our offer to oversee and implement these deliveries
intends to give confidence to the SPLM-N that the Government of Sudan
would not be able to control or block aid provided under this
mechanism. The Government of Sudan has agreed to this proposal, but as
of yet, the SPLM-N has not allowed the proposal for humanitarian
access to go forward.
To be clear, the United States is ready to begin delivering medical
supplies and vaccinations to the people within SPLM-N controlled areas
of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states. While the supplies would be
inspected by Government of Sudan customs authorities at a port of
entry, they would remain in the custody of United States at all times
until delivered to the opposition held areas.
The method of delivering humanitarian assistance to the Two Areas was
the last remaining roadblock to the signing of a cessation of
hostilities agreement last August, bringing an end to decades of
fighting. The agreement would include international monitoring and
agreement on full access for all other humanitarian assistance to be
delivered by international agencies to the SPLM-N held areas. This
would mean civilians in dire need would begin seeing food and other
humanitarian supplies arriving in their areas very quickly.
Given current predictions of emergency-level food insecurity likely to
occur within the next two months in SPLM-N controlled areas, an
agreement to allow humanitarian access to begin now is critical to
save lives. In addition to the urgent need for humanitarian
assistance, as long as there is no jointly agreed and monitored
cessation of hostilities, and as long as opposing forces remain in
close proximity to each other, there will continue to be tensions and
skirmishes which will only inflict greater harm on civilian
populations.
The United States urges the SPLM-N to remove political conditions
preventing humanitarian assistance from reaching populations in need
and allow rapid deployment of humanitarian aid to civilians in the
areas it controls. This agreement would not preclude—and indeed we
would strongly encourage—separate arrangements for necessary medical
evacuations or prisoner exchanges to be coordinated by other parties
through a third party nation.
The Government of Sudan also has a role to play in making this process
work by addressing the root causes of the conflict. In order to
realize sustainable peace, all parties must engage in a genuine
political process as an alternative to war. This will require the
Government of Sudan to create an environment that is conducive to
freedom of expression and full political participation by both armed
and unarmed opposition in and outside of Sudan.
The views expressed in the 'Comment and Analysis' section are solely
the opinions of the writers. The veracity of any claims made are the
responsibility of the author not Sudan Tribune.
If you want to submit an opinion piece or an analysis please email it
to com...@sudantribune.com
Sudan Tribune reserves the right to edit articles before publication.
Please include your full name, relevant personal information and
political affiliations.
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