Sudan announces resumption of negotiations with major rebels in Jan.

KHARTOUM, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Sudan government on Tuesday announced resumption of negotiations with rebels of Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector regarding South Kordofan and Blue Nile areas in January 2018 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

"The negotiations with the SPLM/northern sector will be resumed next January," head of the Sudanese government negotiating delegation Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid said in a statement.

Hamid expected reaching a peace agreement, saying "we expect to reach a peace deal if the movement is serious."

He expressed hope that the SPLM/northern sector would change its vision towards the negotiation process and be serious, noting that "the citizens are fed up with war, and the armed movements will not find anyone to support them, therefore, they should side with peace."

More than 10 rounds of peace talks have been held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa between the Sudanese government and the SPLM/northern sector under the patronage of the African Union, but have failed to reach a peace deal regarding South Kordofan and Blue Nile areas.

The SPLM/northern sector has recently been suffering from internal divisions which resulted in the removal of the movement's Chairman Malik Agar and appointment of his former deputy Abdel Aziz al-Hilu in his place last July.

The movement has been fighting Khartoum government at South Kordofan and Blue Nile areas since 2011. Enditem