UNITED NATIONS, September 6 (RIA Novosti) - After a Sudan national dialogue agreement was signed in Addis Ababa, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday encouraged “all stakeholders, particularly the government, to ensure the creation of a conducive environment for an inclusive, transparent and credible dialogue, as envisaged in the agreement signed today.”
The UN said that Ban “welcomes the initiative of holding a comprehensive national dialogue in Sudan to achieve sustainable peace as well as the progress, made by Sudanese stakeholders to prepare for this process. He welcomes, in particular, the signing today of an agreement between representatives of the G7+7 Preparatory Committee for the National Dialogue and the Paris Declaration Group, comprising the National Umma Party and the armed movements.”
Ban said “this includes a cessation of hostilities, guarantees of political freedoms, including the freedom of speech and assembly, the release of political detainees and other confidence-building measures.”
The UN and African Union jointly run a peacekeeping mission in Sudan, the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, UNAMID.
Ban concluded by commending “the African Union High-level Implementation Panel, led by President Thabo Mbeki, for its tireless efforts in helping the Sudanese find a peaceful solution to the conflicts in Sudan. He reiterates the continued support of the United Nations to this process.”
