UN Secretary-General ‘disappointed at Sudan talks failure’

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is “disappointed that the Sudanese parties failed to reach an agreement on a cessation of hostilities in Darfur and the Two Areas of Blue Nile and South Kordofan States, during the last round of negotiations from 9 to 14 August 2016 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia”.

In a statement by Ban’s spokesman in Sudan, “the Secretary-General strongly urges all the parties to resume negotiations, abide by the Roadmap Agreement, and refrain from any attempt to escalate the conflict in Darfur and the Two Areas. He reiterates that there can be no lasting alternative to a negotiated settlement and stresses that a cessation of hostilities is the first, indispensable step towards achieving this goal.

“The Secretary-General appreciates the vital role played by the African Union High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), the African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur (Unamid) and his Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan to bring about a lasting peace in Sudan.”