Sudan: UN envoy holds more talks on withdrawal from unity government

The top United Nations official in Sudan today met with a senior minister to discuss the decision of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) to suspend its participation in the Government of National Unity.

Tayé-Brook Zerihoun, the Secretary-General’s Acting Special Representative for Sudan, spoke with Sudan’s State Minister for Foreign Minister Ali Karti, who briefed him on the reaction of the National Congress Party to the SPLM withdrawal.

Mr. Zerihoun recommended that the two parties settle pending issues through direct discussions and consultations, and was encouraged by their assurances that they will try to do so, according to a news bulletin released by the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS).

On Friday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon released a statement calling on the parties to take the necessary steps to deal with the outstanding issues concerning the implementation of the January 2005 comprehensive peace agreement that ended the long-running north-south civil war in Sudan.

Since then Mr. Zerihoun has met with the SPLM’s Secretary-General Pagan Amum and with Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, the President and Vice-President of the Government of Southern Sudan.