Hamdok: No Red Lines in Sudanese Peace Negotiations

Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Reuters)
Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Reuters)
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Hamdok: No Red Lines in Sudanese Peace Negotiations

Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Reuters)
Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Reuters)

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has affirmed that no red lines should be set in the country’s peace process. His comments were made a day before talks between the government and Abdelaziz al-Hilu’s Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM-N al-Hilu) were resumed.

The government received an official invitation from the South Sudan mediation team to resume peace talks via videoconference on Tuesday.

Spokesman of the government delegation Mohamed Hassan al-Taishi said the scheduled negotiations are set to tackle three issues.

“These are cessation of hostilities, humanitarian issues and resumption of talks on the Declaration of Principles signed between the two sides in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.”

In a statement on Monday, Taishi noted that the government is ready and keen to continue the dialogue to break the stalemate in negotiations with the SPLM-N.

He stressed that it aims at achieving just and comprehensive peace, which addresses the issues of war and peace in Sudan.

Previous rounds of negotiations were stalled due to the SPLM-N al-Hilu’s adherence to its long-standing position regarding a secular state against the right to self-determination for the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile regions.

The government delegation had made several proposals to overcome the existing differences over the religion-state relations, but the two parties failed to reach a joint agreement to address the issue.

Hamdok received a letter from the resistance committees, urging the government to speed up with the peace process, as well as many current issues.

It is noteworthy that these committees led to the popular movements to overthrow ousted President Omar al-Bashir’s regime.

They called for mass demonstrations on June 30 to pressure the transitional government to implement the revolution’s goals.

According to a statement by the Premier’s office, the letter expressed the country's immediate need for peace, being the most important issue for achieving social peace through continuous dialogue.

Hamdok urged the resistance committees to refrain from undermining the achievements made by the revolution, pointing out that toppling the isolated regime with all its violence and tyranny was a major and significant step.

He said the letter submitted by the committees include an integrated work program, which comes in line with the revolution’s goals.



France: Window of Opportunity Open for Lebanon Ceasefire

A photo taken from the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre shows smoke billowing following an Israeli airstrike which targeted the area of  al-Hosh on the outskirts of Tyre, on November 19, 2024. (Photo by KAWNAT HAJU / AFP)
A photo taken from the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre shows smoke billowing following an Israeli airstrike which targeted the area of al-Hosh on the outskirts of Tyre, on November 19, 2024. (Photo by KAWNAT HAJU / AFP)
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France: Window of Opportunity Open for Lebanon Ceasefire

A photo taken from the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre shows smoke billowing following an Israeli airstrike which targeted the area of  al-Hosh on the outskirts of Tyre, on November 19, 2024. (Photo by KAWNAT HAJU / AFP)
A photo taken from the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre shows smoke billowing following an Israeli airstrike which targeted the area of al-Hosh on the outskirts of Tyre, on November 19, 2024. (Photo by KAWNAT HAJU / AFP)

France's foreign minister said on Wednesday that US-led efforts for a truce between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon had created the chance for a lasting ceasefire.

"There is a window of opportunity that's opening for a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon that would allow the return of those displaced, ensure the sovereignty of Lebanon and the security of Israel," Jean-Noel Barrot told Europe 1 radio.

"I call on all sides with whom we are in close contact to seize this window."

Amos Hochstein, the Biden administration’s pointman on Israel and Lebanon, arrived in Beirut on Tuesday as Hezbollah’s allies in the Lebanese government said the group had responded positively to a ceasefire proposal, which would entail both its fighters and Israeli ground forces withdrawing from a UN buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

Hochstein said he held “very constructive talks” with Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah who is mediating on the group’s behalf.

Berri said the "situation is good in principle,” although some technical details remain unresolved. The Lebanese side was waiting to hear the results of Hochstein's talks with Israeli officials, he told Asharq al-Awsat.