JUBA, Dec. 18(Xinhua) -- A senior member of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) on Wednesday hailed the landmark humanitarian deal signed with the Sudan government saying it will make it easier to reach internally displaced persons.
Yasir Armani, deputy head of the SPLM-N under Malik Agar, said the former regime of Omar al-Bashir had for over eight years denied humanitarian access to the people in the Nuba Mountain, South Kordofan and the Blue Nile regions controlled by the rebel group during decades of conflict.
"This agreement is important in the sense that it is an agreement for the first time between us and the Sudan government that will open corridors in our areas of control of the SPLM-N in Nuba Mountain, South Kordofan and Blue Nile for internally displaced persons (IDPs) to get humanitarian assistance," Armani told journalists in Juba.
Mohamed Hamdan Daqlu, deputy head of the Sudan Sovereign Council, is leading the government delegation negotiating peace in Juba with the various rebel groups under the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) led by El Hadi Idris.
The peace talks being mediated by South Sudan commenced on Oct.14 eventually led the parties to sign the political declaration and cessation of hostilities.
" As you know the former regime of Omar al-Bashir, has been consistently denying access for eight years which is a crime in international humanitarian law and today, because of the result of the revolution in Sudan and the new spirit of the negotiation, we are going to have full access from inside and outside Sudan," said Armani.
He disclosed that the parties agreed to set up two mechanisms to oversee the cessation of hostilities and humanitarian delivery in these areas.
"Those mechanisms are going to involve the two parties plus the government of South Sudan. In one week, we are going to set up those mechanisms and send our mission for humanitarian assessment to see the needs in those areas," said Armani.
The opposition official said the Sudanese people are the key guarantors of the peace pacts signed with the government due to their unwavering determination to bring peace and change in the North African country.
"There is a change in Sudan and that change has to lead to what the Sudanese people are aspiring for. The Sudanese people are aspiring for peace and nothing is going to move in Sudan without this. The Sudanese people are the organic guarantors of the peace deal," said Armani.
The opposition groups that are involved in the second round of talks which resumed on Dec.10 also include SPLM-N under Gen.Abdel Aziz Al-Hilu, Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minnawi, the Justice Equality Movement (JEM) under Jibril Ibrahim.
