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Sudan's president closes door of dialogue with Darfur armed groups

Xinhua, March 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said on Friday there would be no dialogue with the Darfur armed groups after the current national dialogue which reached its final stages.

"This file is closed, and there will be no agreement other than the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur," said al-Bashir when addressing the opening sitting of the consultative Shura Council of the ruling National Congress Party.

"These movements have disintegrated where some of them are working as mercenaries in South Sudan and others in Libya," he noted.

He further regarded the Darfur administration referendum, scheduled for April, as important and reaffirmed that Darfur is safe and stable.

In the meantime, al-Bashir reiterated the government's rejection to demands by Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) of autonomous rule for South Kordofan and Blue Nile areas.

"We can agree with them on security arrangements and give them some positions in power, but we reject the movement's demands of autonomous rule for the two areas, or its demand to keep its army during a transitional period," noted al-Bashir.

Earlier on Friday, Sudan officially announced that it would not participate in a consultative meeting scheduled this month called for by the African Union.

The African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) has invited the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), the Sudan Liberation Movement, the Justice and Equality Movement and the opposition National Umma Party for a consultative meeting, slated from 16 to 18 this month in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

The Sudanese government has been fighting the armed rebel groups in Darfur region since 2003, while South Kordofan and Blue Nile have been witnessing armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the SPLM rebels since 2011.

So far 10 rounds of peace talks have been held in Addis Ababa between the Sudanese government and the SPLM, which failed to end the conflicts.

Also, the talks between the government and the Darfur armed movements haven't helped reach cessation of hostilities. Endit