SPLM-N withdraws from Addis Ababa peace talks

ADDIS ABABA – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) has abruptly withdrawn from peace talks mediated by the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), accusing the process of being skewed against its demands.

In a statement on Monday, the SPLM-N, led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, said it had pulled out of the preparatory consultations in Addis Ababa after the technical committee overseeing the talks rejected key proposals, including a call for a broader political dialogue involving multiple stakeholders.

“The Secretariat of the technical committee dropped some of the SPLM-N’s proposed agendas and issues for dialogue, along with significant alterations to the draft document’s texts,” said Koko Mohamed Jaqdoul, the head of the SPLM-N delegation.

The SPLM-N had sought a roundtable discussion with forces aligned with the Nairobi Declaration, a peace deal signed by several opposition groups, but other participants insisted on a narrower process.

“We proposed a roundtable to include forces committed to the Nairobi Declaration, but this was rejected,” Jaqdoul said. “This shows a clear bias towards certain parties.”

The group also expressed dissatisfaction with the draft peace document produced by the consultations, accusing those it described as “old Sudan” parties of obstructing progress.

“The draft document presented to us was a step backward, not forward,” Jaqdoul said. “It failed to address the root causes of the conflict, such as the role of religion in politics.”

The SPLM-N has long advocated for addressing the historical grievances that have fueled decades of conflict in Sudan. The group has rejected previous peace deals, arguing that they do not address the underlying issues.

“We cannot participate in a process that is clearly designed to fail,” Jaqdoul said. “We will continue to pursue peace, but on our own terms.”

The African Union and IGAD have yet to comment on the SPLM-N’s withdrawal. The two had organized the talks involving the FFC, the SPLM-N, the SPLM, the Ba’ath Party, the Popular Congress Party (PCP), and the Democratic Unionist Party.