Sudan’s national dialogue committee meets Al-Bashir on Wednesday

Jan 20, 2015-Khartoum-SudaneseOnline-The political parties and forces participating in the national dialogue have disclosed that they will meet the president Omer Al-Bashir on Wednesday.
Member of the dialogue mechanism, known as (7+7) committee, Sati Sorkati, said in press statements on Monday that their meting with the president will discuss the benefits and liabilities of the national dialogue, including confidence-building measures among the parties, noting that the next stage needs for genuine national reconciliation shared by all without exception.
Sudan’s government launched a national dialogue initiative last January in which he urged opposition parties and rebels alike to join the dialogue table to discuss all the pressing issues.
But the initiative faced serious setback after rebel groups and leftist parties refused to join the dialogue and after the NUP withdrew from the process in protest of al-Mahdi’s brief arrest earlier this year.
The opposition alliance of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) also refused to participate and instead called for removing restrictions on freedoms, releasing political prisoners and establishing a transitional government.
Political parties which agreed to participate in the national dialogue failed to make any breakthrough on issues under discussion including governance, economy, foreign relations and national identity.