April 6, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan people's Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) played down reports about humanitarian breakthrough in the Blue Nile state where the UN humanitarian agency begun food distribution, stressing their controlled areas are not included in this operation.
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- SPLM-N secretary-general Yasir Arman (AP)
The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Thursday the start of its first humanitarian operation in two towns in the Blue Nile (Kurmuk and Geissan), indicating the operation targets some 51,000 people in dire need of food assistance.
"While we continue to strive for access to all areas, this is still a major breakthrough" which will enable the WFP to assistance the needy population, said WFP Sudan Country Director Adnan Khan.
SPLM-N Secretary General Yasir Arman however minimised this operation saying there is no major breakthrough in the Blue Nile state.
Khan's statement about a major breakthrough is "misleading" and "does not reflect the actual situation in Blue Nile state", Arman said in statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Saturday morning.
"What took place is that Khartoum allowed the WFP to work in a limited area controlled by Khartoum and they made big news out of that", he further said.
The conflict between the Sudanese army and the SPLM-N, which started in September 2011 three months after South Kordofan, displaced thousands of civilians to Ethiopia and South Sudan. Also reports from the area say the government warplanes continue to bombard the rebel held positions.
Khartoum refuses to allow foreign aid groups to open camps for the displaced civilians in the Two Areas fearing that the "rebels make it a tribune for their cause as it was the case in Darfur". It also prevents humanitarian access saying the rebel fighters will benefit from the humanitarian assistance.
The two parties reached a humanitarian agreement, in August 2012, sponsored by the African mediation and on the basis of a proposal made by the United Nations, African Union and Arab League. Nonetheless, it was not implemented as they failed to seal a protocol on the mechanism of implementation.
Arman underlined that Khartoum is still denying humanitarian access to the SPLM-N areas in the two states "where around a million of the civilian populations are being denied their right to humanitarian assistance and civilian protection".
He further reiterated the SPLM-N call for a humanitarian agreement allowing to reach all the civilians affected by the conflict in both sides.
"It is the real task at hand, not entertaining the gimmicks of Khartoum", he added.
The rebel leader said his movement is willing to sign an immediate humanitarian cessation of hostilities allowing to reach the affected civilians, create a suitable atmosphere for a political settlement and to consolidate the buffer zone recently activated on the border with South Sudan.
Khartoum, which was initially refusing to hold direct talks with the SPLM-N rebels, accepted last month to negotiate with the SPLM-N.
The Sudanese government demanded that Juba stop its alleged supports to the SPLM-N before to engage direct talks.
The African Union mediation, which brokers the Sudan south Sudan process, is preparing to start the talks with the files cessation of hostilities and humanitarian operation in the two areas.
(ST)