Sudan PM in peace mission to rebel stronghold

(9 Jan 2020) Sudan's prime minister, accompanied by United Nations officials, embarked on a peace mission on Thursday to a rebel stronghold, in a major step toward government efforts to end the country's long-running civil conflicts. A crowd of thousands of civilians and armed rebels welcomed Abdalla Hamdok to the Nuba Mountain's town of Kauda, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) south of the capital, Khartoum, for a meeting with Abdel-Aziz al-Hilu, leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement-North (SLM-N). Al-Hilu's movement is Sudan's single largest rebel group, and is active in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan provinces, where it controls significant chunks of territory. The SLM-N slaughtered two livestock as a sign of welcoming, and Hamdok crossed over one of them to "be blessed." The cheering crowd held Arabic and English-language signs that represent the main demands of the SLM-N. One sign read: "We stand for the secular state or self-determination." Another read: "No to Sharia law in Sudan." The Sudanese prime minister arrived with five Cabinet ministers, the head of the United Nations World Food Programme and American, British and Norwegian diplomats. Calling the visit "truly historical," Hamdok said he hoped it would be a start to achieve sustainable peace in his country, and "to end the suffering of our people in these areas." "This is the start of the new Sudan," he told The Associated Press. "Together, we will make miracles." Sudan's transitional government has been engaging in peace talks with rebel groups since October, looking to stabilise the country and help its fragile path to democracy survive following the military's overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir last April after nearly three decades in power. Al-Hilu is calling for a secular state with no role for religion in lawmaking, the disbanding of all of al-Bashir's militias and the re-vamping of the country's military. His group says if its demands aren't met, it will call for self-determination in areas it controls. He said his group calls for addressing the "root causes" of the conflict in Sudan, including the relationship between religion and the state. "You are free here in Kauda. The fundamental freedoms are fully respected here; whether freedom of belief, freedom of conscience or whatever freedoms provided that you do not trespass on the freedom of others," al-Hilu said, addressing the crowds and visiting officials. The area has been stricken by poverty for years, but fighting barred aid groups from visiting. Thursday's visit was just the second time since 2011 that the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has been able to access the area. Aid workers were bringing with them supplies for a school feeding programme that they say is a first step towards addressing dire hunger in Kauda and nearby communities. "For the United Nations, this is the first time we are here in a very long time. We thank these two leaders (Hamdok and al-Hilu), for breaking down barriers and building up opportunities," said David Beasley, WFP executive director. He said the U.N. negotiations for humanitarian access have helped to re-establish the "trust and confidence" that are necessary "to create long-term peace in every area in Sudan." The visit to the area is also the first for senior Sudanese officials in more than nine years. Sudan's new transitional government has six months to make peace with the country's rebels under a power-sharing deal reached this summer following al-Bashir's ouster. If they fail to do so, it could undermine the deal and put the country's fragile transition in jeopardy. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...