This archive report was first published on 18 October 2019.
On Friday, October 18, 2019, peace talks between the Sudanese government and rebels resumed in neighboring South Sudan, following a rocky start that saw one of the main rebel groups threaten to pull out.
The talks, which were launched on Monday by South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, are being mediated by South Sudan, a former foe still struggling to end its own war.
According to officials from all sides, the Sudanese government and the two umbrella groups of rebels they are negotiating with have managed to pin down a partial agenda for discussions.
"We have managed to agree on a partial agenda for discussions," said Mohammed Hassan Alteishi, spokesman for the Sudanese government delegation. "The agenda includes political issues, humanitarian issues, and security arrangements."
Alteishi added that the agreement was reached within three hours of the debate, while the former regime failed to reach agreement on the same points in 22 rounds of negotiations.
The talks between the new government in Khartoum and rebels who fought against now ousted president Omar al-Bashir's forces in Darfur, Blue Nile, and South Kordofan states are being mediated by South Sudan.
However, the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) on Wednesday threatened to pull out unless the government withdrew from an area in the Nuba mountains where it said government attacks were ongoing.
Hours later, Khartoum announced a "permanent ceasefire" in the three conflict zones.
"We have been following the situation on the ground and we have seen the government of Khartoum made some steps which we regarded as positive towards addressing all those issues," said Amar Amon, secretary general of SPLM-N.
