KHARTOUM, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector on Tuesday denied that there were any arrangements for talks between Khartoum and Sudanese armed groups in the French capital Paris or anywhere else in Europe, Sudan Tribune reported.
The Sudanese government on Monday disclosed a U.S. initiative for holding a round of talks between the government and the Sudanese armed groups in Paris during Jan. 20-21.
"There will be no meeting with the government. Also there are no any arrangements for talks on current Jan. 20, and we will not negotiate with the government on the political issues," Yasir Arman, Secretary-General of the SPLM/northern sector, was quoted as saying.
He reiterated the movement's declared stance about its readiness to only negotiate the humanitarian issues.
"What we know is that President Thabo Mbeki would address the African Union Peace and Security Council, and we have nothing to do with that. These are arrangements concerning the African Union," he noted.
Meanwhile, Arman said the Sudanese army attacked its movement's positions at Al-Rum area in Blue Nile State on Monday, noting that "the battles are still continuing at the area."
He renewed the movement's adherence to working to unite the opposition forces and gradually escalate the people's work towards toppling the government, accusing Khartoum of non-seriousness in achieving peace and democratic transformation through negotiations.
In August last year, the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan (AUHIP), led by former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki, suspended the peace talks between the Sudanese government and the armed opposition in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, due to the differences between the parties regarding the two files of humanitarian assistance and security arrangements.
The Sudanese government has been fighting the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector at South Kordofan and Blue Nile states since 2011. It has also been battling a group of armed movements in the Darfur region since 2003.
