Washington, DC - The members of the Troika (the United Kingdom, Norway, and the United States) welcome the ongoing efforts of President Thabo Mbeki and the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) to help bring an end to the conflicts in Sudan, and to help initiate a process of genuine national dialogue.

The AUHIP’s “one process, two tracks” mediation presents the best opportunity to secure synchronized Cessations of Hostilities agreements in Darfur and the Two Areas. This would open the way to a fuller discussion of the root causes of Sudan's conflicts, of political and economic reform, and of national identity, through an inclusive and comprehensive National Dialogue.

It is therefore deeply disappointing that the recent peace talks in Addis Ababa ended without agreement. We call on all parties to return to the talks in January 2015 with a mandate to achieve peace. In the absence of progress, the situation in Darfur and the Two Areas continues to deteriorate. Over 430,000 people have been displaced by conflict in Darfur and more than 100,000 in the Two Areas since the start of the year. We call on all parties to the conflict to stop all acts of violence, immediately provide unfettered humanitarian access, and take the steps necessary to advance the peace process.

We are also deeply concerned by the arrest of opposition and civil society members following their recent return to Khartoum. These actions run counter to the aims of a comprehensive and inclusive National Dialogue. We call on the Government of Sudan to immediately release those that have been detained and create a climate conducive to a genuine National Dialogue.