ESAT News (December 29, 2016  )

Sudanese presidential aide Thursday said the U.S. proposal that his government has accepted is about the delivery of medicines to the civilians in the rebel held areas, providing it be inspected by the competent authorities.

According to a report by Sudan Tribune, Sudanese humanitarian commissioner and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) dismissed statements by political figure Mubarak al-Fadil that the government had accepted the delivery of 20% of humanitarian aid to the civilians in the rebel controlled areas through Asosa in Ethiopia.

The report said Presidential Assistant and head of the government negotiating delegation, Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid reiterated Khartoum’s rejection to allow delivery of one-fifth of humanitarian assistance directly to the rebel held areas in blue Nile State through Ethiopia.

The SPLM-N sticks to the direct delivery of humanitarian assistance from abroad because they want to abolish the government sovereignty over its territory, Hamid said stressing that “the government would not sign any agreement giving rebels a sovereignty over a territory. ”

He further said the government sticks to the principle of prohibition of aircrafts to entering the national airspace without the knowledge of the authorities “any airplane has to follow the established regulations,” he said.

The paper reported that the SPLM-N on Wednesday disclosed that U.S. Special Envoy Donald Booth is seeking to facilitate a humanitarian access deal and made several proposals to the parties.

Hamid also accused the SPLM of intending to use the aid aircrafts to export the gold extracted from mines in the rebel controlled areas in the Blue Nile State, pointing they would buy weapons with the money, according to the report by sudan Tribune.