A farewell to arms is desperately needed

 Al-Bashir, left, Kiir, right, in Juba, Friday, April 12, 2013. Photo credit: AP

Three people were reportedly killed on Friday, when shells struck the South Kordofan state capital of Kadugli in a suspected rebel bombardment.

The shells crashed down even while President Al-Bashir held talks in the South Sudanese capital Juba with his counterpart Salva Kiir, during a visit to symbolize easing tensions, particularly over the South's alleged support for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).

The shelling was seen by many observers as a message by the SPLM-N; “We are here and we will not be ignored”!

Despite the fact that the government of South Sudan announced emphatically, during the latest round of talks in Addis Ababa, that it disengaged politically and militarily with the SPLM-North, thereby providing a reasonable opportunity for running an internal dialogue with the movement on national issues and issues relating to the two states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile without external influences, such renewed border tensions could severely undermine confidence-building between the two neighbors.

What seems to confirm this new preference for dialogue is that the government, which had long rejected negotiations with the SPLM-N on the basis of the disengagement argument, announced in the beginning of this month, no less through the president, that it seeks to broaden political dialogue, "including (with) those who are armed".

The SPLM-N has also called for a truce in the two states, to allow safe passage of humanitarian aid to displaced and effected people, and to steer resources towards combating poverty and development to set the stage for negotiations to deal with the crisis in the two states on the basis of a UN resolution passed last year; the government however wants to use a totally different framework.

Now two years have elapsed since war erupted in South Kordofan and later spread to Blue Nile state, leaving behind a trail of destruction and human tragedy; while economic, social, political and cultural issues remain unresolved, with negotiation as the last remaining hope.

The government should lead the way by announcing a ceasefire in the two states, and guaranteeing amnesty for rebels who give up arms within the framework of an initiative for resuming talks between the two parties to reach an agreed upon peaceful settlement.

The SPLM-N should reciprocate through demonstrated commitment to dialogue by renouncing violence.