This archive report was first published on 11 December 2019.
On Tuesday evening, Sudan's transitional government resumed peace talks with various armed opposition groups in Juba, South Sudan, a move aimed at ending decades of conflict in the country's marginalised regions.
The talks, which are being mediated by South Sudan President Salva Kiir, commenced on October 14, but were suspended due to allegations of a military attack on a Sudanese rebel group.
According to Mohamed Hamdan Daqlu, deputy head of the Sudan Transitional Council, the government aims to reach a comprehensive peace agreement with the opposition groups under the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) led by El Hadi Idris, leader of the Sudan Liberation Army.
"We will focus on the talks seriously in order to reach a comprehensive peace agreement with the opposition. We will work together to allow people displaced and refugees to return to their homes," Daqlu said during the opening of the second round of talks in Juba.
El Hadi Idris expressed his group's readiness to participate in the ongoing talks with the government, saying they hope to arrive at a peaceful settlement of their grievances.
"We need to swiftly reach a durable and comprehensive peace. We will cooperate with the government and partners to end the conflicts in Blue Nile, Nuba Mountain and Darfur," Idris disclosed.
Tut Kew Gatluak, head of South Sudan mediation team, expressed optimism that the parties will finally ink a peace deal, saying "We hope to achieve peace in the shortest time possible. What is important is freedom and security in Sudan."
