The African Union Peace Council has asked the government and the SPLM-N to start immediate negotiations for a political settlement of the conflict in the two areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
Government and SPLA-N forces have been fighting in South Kordofan since June 2011 and in Blue Nile three months later with a tremendous impact in the civil population in both areas.The Council wrote in its communiqu√Ö¬Ω after meeting number 353 at the level of heads of state and government that concluded in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Friday that there is no military solution to the conflict.
It called on the Panel to submit to the Government and the SPLM-N a proposal for a ceasefire agreement to facilitate humanitarian access to the affected population saying that ending the hostilities is a must for alleviating the humanitarian crisis.
The Council urged the Government of Sudan and the SPLM?N to enter into direct negotiations without preconditions, in order to reach a political solution to the conflict until February 15.