KHARTOUM, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector on Friday said it was studying freezing negotiations with Sudan government following an international report accusing government army of using chemical weapons at conflict zones.
"The movement's leadership has commenced consultation on Friday morning and is studying freezing and halting the negotiations with the government," said Yasir Arman, Secretary General of the SPLM/northern sector, in a statement on Friday.
He added that his movement would demand the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council to conduct a fair investigation about Khartoum's use of chemical weapons at Jebel Marra in Darfur and internationally prohibited weapons at the region and the two areas (South Kordofan and Blue Nile).
"Decisions must be issued to protect the civilians in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile," he noted.
Arman further explained that the SPLM/northern sector would hold consultations with its alliances and officially ask the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), which is patronizing the negotiations between the conflicting Sudanese parties, to conduct an African investigation on the use of chemical weapons and internationally prohibited weapons at the three areas.
He described the International Amnesty's report as "brave," pointing out that it broke the silence of the international community towards the government's violations at conflict zones.
Amnesty International on Thursday issued a report accusing the Sudanese army of killing dozens of civilians, including children, in attacks using chemical weapons in Sudan's Darfur.
Amnesty International's report stated that at least 30 likely chemical attacks have hit Jebel Marra between January and September this year, pointing out that the chemical weapon use it documented may have killed 200 to 250 people, with many or most being children.
However, Sudan's Foreign Ministry on Thursday described the report of Amnesty International as "fabricated and baseless."
"The foreign ministry would like to express its absolute rejection of the allegations of the report of Amnesty International and regard them as baseless and fabricated accusations," said Sudan's foreign ministry in a statement.
Jebel Marra area had witnessed heavy fighting between the Sudanese army and the rebels of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM)/Abdul-Wahid Mohamed Nur faction since the mid-January 2015 before the Sudanese army declared its control over the area last April.
