Sudan rebel faction, government hold 1st round of talks

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s largest single rebel group Friday held its first round of direct peace talks with the country’s transitional government, despite an earlier boycott following a military crackdown.

The new transitional government and other rebel leaders kicked off talks Monday in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, aimed at ending Sudan’s years-long civil wars. The talks come in the wake of an August power-sharing agreement between the army and a pro-democracy movement following the overthrow of autocratic former president Omar al-Bashir.


The Rapid Support Forces are led by Gen. Mohammed Hamadan Dagalo, a member of the Sudan’s transitional Sovereign Council, who also leads the government delegation to the Juba talks.


On the resumption of talks, Ammar Amoun, head of the SLPM-North movement’s delegation, told reporters late on Thursday that the government had taken “positive steps to correct earlier mistakes.”

Following this week’s attacks, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, head of the Sovereign Council, declared a nationwide cease-fire on Wednesday.


“We asked mediators to follow-up with the government until all flaws are addressed,” Amoun told reporters Thursday. “However, this should not prevent us from going back to the negotiation table.”


Achieving peace is crucial to the transitional government in Sudan. It has counted on ending the wars with rebel groups to revive the country’s battered economy through slashing the military spending, which takes up much of the national budget. Transitional authorities have set a six-month deadline for making peace with the rebel groups.



The government “has demonstrated a strong political will and understanding of issues like co-existence, citizenship and the importance of eliminating all aspects of marginalization,” said Said.

