Memorandum of Understanding between the Sudan People’s liberation Movement/North and the African Union/League of Arab States/United Nations Tripartite on Humanitarian Assistance to war-affected civilians in Blue Nile and South Kordofan States

1. Based on the "Joint AU/LAS/UN Proposal for Access to Provide and Deliver Humanitarian Assistance to War-Affected Civilians in Blue Nile and South Kordofan States", and in accordance with the African Union Peace and Security Council Communique of 24 April 2012 and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2046 of 2
May 2012, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM/North) accepts to allow the AU/LAS/UN Tripartite, under principles and transparent procedures expressed in the proposal and detailed below, to unrestricted and unfettered access to the SPLM-N controlled areas to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians in need.

a. In consultation with the SPLM/North, the Tripartite will identify neutral, impartial and independent implementing partners capable of undertaking the delivery of humanitarian assistance and determine operational procedures;

b. The Tripartite shall immediately establish a team, one each from the AU, LAS
and the UN, that will work with the SPLM/North in the implementation of this

Memorandum of Understanding;

c. The Tripartite team will immediately deploy to make an assessment of the size and needs of the civilian population affected by the war within a maximum of two weeks starting from the date of signing of this memorandum;
d. Distribution of humanitarian assistance shall be carried out under the auspices of the Tripartite in collaboration with its implementing partners acceptable to the SPLM/North and members of the local community in the affected areas;

e. The two parties agreed to review this Memorandum of Understanding
against its objectives on a monthly basis;

f. The Tripartite team shall prepare an operational plan for all humanitarian activities, which shall be jointly discussed with the SPLM/North and agreed upon within one week from the date of signing this Memorandum of Understanding;

g. The SPLM/North will facilitate the timely operationalization of this Memorandum of Understanding;

h. The SPLM/North will ensure the safety of humanitarian operations,including humanitarian assets, supplies and personnel in the areas it controls.

2. The SPLM/North agrees on an immediate cessation of hostilities to enable the assessment, delivery and monitoring of humanitarian assistance to the war-affected civilians in Blue Nile and South Kordofan States; the cessation of hostilities will be for one month renewable.

3. Humanitarian operations shall be conducted under the joint oversight of the Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Agency and the Tripartite team; the two shall periodically assess the conduct of the humanitarian operations;

NB: Despite its reservations, in particular the fact that the whole operation is dependent on the consent of the GaS on access to the SPLM/North controlled areas, the SPLM/North decided to sign this Memorandum of Understanding in order to respond to the civilian populations urgent needs.

Addis Ababa,4 August 2012

SPLM-N & Tripartite team deal over humanitarian access to South Kordofan and Blue Nile