August 8, 2012 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese negotiating team will be very intransigent in the political talks with the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), said Sudan’s top negotiator adding indulgence was a major cause in the collapse of the previous peace agreements.

Sudanese government and the SPLM-N signed agreements with the facilitators of the tripartite initiative (UN, Arab league and African Union) for humanitarian assistance to the rebel controlled areas in south Kordofan and Blue Nile. However, they did not make any progress in the political talks.

The SPLM-N demanded to hold a comprehensive peace process including political crisis in Darfur and other regions. "Piecemeal solutions are a recipe for reproducing conflict and crises", the group said in its position paper.

The demand was rejected by the Sudanese government and the mediation before to suspend the process which is expected to resume during the last week of this month. The African Union mediation reminded the parties that the talks are held under the UN resolution 2046 and concern only the two states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Kamal Obeid, chief negotiator of the Sudanese delegation to the process with the SPLM-N, stated on Wednesday that there is no way to repeat the same mistakes and to make concessions on key issues in order to reach a peace deal.

"We seek to achieve a serious agreement, like East-Sudan agreement, based before anything on political and military disengagement with South Sudan", Obeid said; adding that "seeking to get peace at any cost means war."

He said the current circumstances of negotiations provide an opportunity to rectify and conclude a final agreement on the disputed issues.

Obeid was referring to statements made by President Omer Al-Bashir and other officials saying they did a lot of concessions to the SPLM during peace process in 2003-2005 in order to preserve the unity of the country.

The UN Security Council is expected to meet Thursday to discuss the outcome of the talks after the end of the 2 August deadline.

Obeid minimised the impact of UN resolution pointing out that Juba accepted an oil agreement last week under the American pressure and because they have no other alternative to export their oil production.

NCP spokesperson Badr-Eldin Ibrahim, in statements to the press after a NCP leadership meeting on Wednesday evening , ruled out any presidential decision to pardon the leaders of the SPLM-N, before the conclusion of a peace agreement.

The rebel group demanded in its position paper to remove the ban imposed on its activities and to reinstate SPLM-N chairman Malik Agar, in his position of Blue Nile State governor.

(ST)