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Roundup: Sudanese political circles optimistic over opposition's expected signing of road-map

Xinhua, August 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

Optimism prevails the Sudanese political circles few hours before the opposition Sudan Call signs a road-map deal proposed by the African Union (AU) mediation last March.

The Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa is expected to witness on Monday evening a ceremony during which the Sudan Call, an alliance bringing together Sudanese armed groups and opposition parties, is scheduled to sign the road-map deal.

"The government delegation will directly embark on meetings with the opposition alliance immediately after the signing of the road-map," Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid, head of the Sudanese government negotiating delegation, told reporters in Khartoum Monday shortly before the delegation left to Addis Ababa.

He expressed hope that the other parties would maintain the same political will with which the government delegation would enter the negotiations.

In the meantime, Bishara Juma Arur, member of the government delegation, said in a statement that "the session, which will be convened on Tuesday between the government delegation and the opposition alliance, will discuss the preliminary arrangements stipulated in the road-map related to cessation of hostilities, a permanent cease-fire and speeding up delivery of humanitarian assistance."

Ahmed Bilal Osman, spokesman of Sudan's Higher Coordination Committee of the National Dialogue (7+7 mechanism), meanwhile, was quoted by Ashorooq net as saying that "Sudan Call forces' signing of the road-map in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa will open the door widely for reaching a national vision agreed upon by all parties."

Al-Saddiq al-Mahdi, leader of the Sudanese opposition National Umma Party, for his part, expressed in a statement his optimism over the signing of the African proposed road-map.

He described the signing of the road-map as a "national event" that all the Sudanese people are waiting for to achieve stability in the country.

Last March, the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan (AUHIP) proposed a roadmap agreement for the Sudanese rivals, stipulating arrangements related to cease-fire at South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur regions, entering a peace process and involving the armed movements in the national dialogue currently convened in Khartoum.

The Sudanese government unilaterally signed the roadmap agreement, while the Sudan Call alliance refused to sign the deal. Endit