JUBA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- The government of South Sudan met with members of Sundan's civilian coalition, Forces of Freedom and Change, on Tuesday in an effort to push for a cessation of hostilities before the start of political negotiations aimed at ending the conflict that erupted on April 15.
Omar El Degeir, the leader of Sudan's Forces of Freedom and Change, emphasized the need for all political forces in Sudan to agree on democratic governance, a unified army, transitional justice and economic recovery through negotiation.
"We have to resolve problems through negotiations instead of bullets, artillery and warplanes," El Degeir told journalists after a consultative meeting with South Sudan officials in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
Dhieu Mathok Diing Wol, the secretary general of the South Sudan mediation committee that brokered the signing of the 2020 Juba peace agreement between the Sudan transitional government and various opposition forces, said that South Sudan President Salva Kiir initiated consultations and meetings with Sudanese political and civil organizations aimed at resolving the conflict.
"It is important to have the warring parties, especially the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), agree to a cessation of hostilities and a ceasefire, allowing the political process to begin," said Mathok, who is also the minister of investment.
During a two-day consultative meeting in Juba on Oct. 23-24, Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council Deputy Chairman Malik Agar and members of various opposition parties endorsed Kiir to mediate between the warring factions.
Tut Gatluak, Kiir's advisor on national security affairs and chairperson of the South Sudan mediation committee, expressed concern about the ongoing fighting in neighboring Sudan, saying it directly impacts South Sudan's economy and exacerbates the already dire humanitarian situation.
"We are part of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union, but Sudan's issues affect South Sudan the most. We need to join hands and help the country," Gatluak said.
South Sudan is hosting over 364,000 people who fled fighting between the SAF and RSF since April. - Xinhua
