Juba, May 15(Darfur 24)
A popular delegation from the regions of “South and West Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei” arrived in Juba, on Monday, to support and facilitate negotiations between the Sudanese army and the SPLM-North, and to reflect the scale of the humanitarian crisis in the areas affected by the conflict.
The Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army, Lieutenant General Shams al-Din Kabbashi, met with the leader of the SPLM, Abdulaziz al-Hilu, last Saturday in the city of Juba, and they agreed on the passage of relief into the areas under their control in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile, while they postponed the signing of a detailed document regarding that until a later time.
The Emir of Al-Ajnaq Emirate and head of the popular delegation representing the government-controlled areas in South Kordofan, Hassan Abdel Hamid, told (Darfur 24) that the main mission of the delegation is to act as a facilitator and support for the negotiators with regard to the humanitarian aspect only in South and West Kordofan, the Blue Nile and the Abyei area.
He added, “The delegation is the result of an agreement between Abdulaziz al-Hilu, head of the Popular Movement North, and Lieutenant General Shams al-Din Kabbashi, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army, regarding the participation of popular delegations representing areas controlled by both parties.”
He stated, “The delegations of the Sudanese army and the Popular Movement can present a vision for developing negotiations on a permanent peace through their agreement on a written vision that will be put up for discussion in the negotiation.”
Regarding the composition of the delegation, the Prince said that it was composed of individuals available and present in the city of Port Sudan due to the constraints of time and difficulty of movement, explaining that “it was prepared with great care to represent all the aforementioned regions without any partisan quotas or tribal bias so as not to raise any sensitivity among the communities in those regions.”
Deteriorating humanitarian situation
Prince Hassan said that the humanitarian situation in the region is extremely bad and complex, as it has reached late stages of loss of livelihood amid a large displacement movement, not out of fear of the security situation, but rather from hunger and lack of health services, according to him.
He stressed that all pharmacies are closed and most hospitals are out of service, and there are only a few health services, with great efforts by the people of South Kordofan. He continued, “There is a complete lack of anesthesia medications, even for childbirth. Women give birth without anesthesia.”
He pointed out that “for the first time in the recent history of South Kordofan, a sack of cornmeal reached 160,000 pounds, and ground millwheat reached 8,000.”
He explained that the closure of the streets due to the war is the main factor in the poor humanitarian situation in the region, stressing that the White Daling Road is not working, nor are the Kadugli Daling Road, the Habila Al-Abbasiya Road, Laqwa Road, and some small streets, such as Umm Jumina Street that connects to the Dalling Road, due to the war.
He added, “Citizens cannot withstand this situation for the next week, especially during the fall, when the situation is getting worse and more complex. Therefore, pressure must be exerted to implement the humanitarian agreement during the current May or June,” he said.
He stressed that all the streets in South Kordofan are currently disturbing and there is no way for any humanitarian aid to pass, explaining that “the Rapid Support Forces who are present on the White Dilling Road are behind stopping the entry of aid into Dilling, Kadugli and the rest of the areas of South Kordofan.”
He said, “These are the reasons that made us come to negotiations to put pressure on both sides to open roads for the passage of humanitarian aid as quickly as possible for those stuck in conflict areas.”
Prince Hassan appealed to the international community and international organizations to put pressure on the Rapid Support Forces to open roads and corridors to deliver humanitarian aid to South Kordofan because this war is between the armies and the citizen is not a party to it.
It is expected that the Sudanese army will sign with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement led by Abdulaziz Al-Hilu, in the coming days, a document on humanitarian operations in the two regions, guaranteeing the delivery of aid to those affected in areas controlled by both parties.
It is noteworthy that there is a third party, the Rapid Support Forces, that now controls some sites in the state of South Kordofan, but it will not be part of the agreement between “Kabashi and Al-Hilu,” and therefore the fate of the citizens in the areas under its control of the humanitarian aid that is expected to enter is unknown. Agreement between the army and the SPLM.