Delegations of Sudan’s National Dialogue committee and the Sudan Revolutionary Front signed an agreement on Thursday, “on the national dialogue and constitutional process”, together with the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
The eight-point text was signed in separate documents by El Sadig El Mahdi, leader of the National Umma Party (NUP), and Malik Agar, chairman of the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF, an alliance of the main rebel movements in Sudan) from the opposition side. The two attending members and representatives of the National Dialogue '7+7 Committee' were Ghazi Salaheldin El Atabani, chairman of the Reform Now Movement, and Ahmed Saad Omar, Minister at the Presidency. Thabo Mbeki, the chief of the AU High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), also attended the signing in Addis Ababa.
The Sudanese government and the opposition parties participating in the National Dialogue have signed a similar deal. Also, the rebel SRF and the opposition Umma Party signed the Paris Declaration, which also includes principles to end the conflict in Sudan and re-establish democracy.andnbsp;However, the latest agreement formally commits the government, the rebels and one opposition party.
“Comprehensive political settlement is the ideal option to resolve the Sudanese problem, says the signed text. It further provides that “stopping war, reaching cessation of hostilities and addressing the humanitarian situation shall be an absolute priority in confidence building measures”.
It further states that a dialogue shall be conducted according to “agreed-upon time frames”, and that all stakeholders are guaranteed of participation, with the objective of reaching national consensus.
News photo: Thabo Mbeki (middle) with Malik Agar on his left at the signing ceremony of an agreement with the National Dialogue committee on 4 September in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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