KHARTOUM, Nov 23, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Southern Sudanese political parties Monday called on the African Union's Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) to intervene to stop the tribal conflicts in south Sudan and persuade the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), which runs the south, to permit political work in the region.
Some southern Sudanese political parties met Monday with the visiting AUPSC delegation in Khartoum.
"We have asked the AUPSC delegation to intervene to stop the tribal clashes in the south and persuade the SPLM to involve us in the southerners' issues," said Joseph Malwal, Chairman of the Southern Sudanese Democratic Salvation Front, in a press statement following the meeting.
"There are many issues relating to security in south Sudan, such as elections and self-determination, and we believe that these issues will not be resolved if instability remains in the region," he said.
Chairman of the Democratic Forum for Southern Sudan, Martin Aliya, for his part, said the meeting was meant for consultation on the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the Darfur crisis from the perspective of the southern Sudanese parties.
He said they have briefed the AUPSC delegation on barriers hampering the implementation of the CPA.
"We have asked the African Union to assist us in building the confidence between the Sudanese government partners (the National Congress Party and the SPLM), so that they would be able to continue implementation of the CPA as is expected," he added.
The AUPSC delegation arrived in Khartoum Monday in a three-day visit to Sudan during which they will hold talks with Sudanese officials, visit Darfur and then south Sudan to hold talks with officials there.
