Doha: Sudan`s government and a collection of Darfur rebel groups signed a ceasefire on Thursday - the second such deal in less than a month with a key rebel faction - opening the way for political negotiations ahead of a full peace agreement.
The Sudanese government now has truces with two major rebel blocs, leaving mainly the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Paris-based Abdelwahid Elnur on the outside - though the history of the conflict has been marked by failed peace agreements.
Arduous negotiations on power and resource sharing, the main demand of the rebels, still lie ahead.
Today`s truce was with the newly formed Liberation and Justice Movement, an umbrella organisation of several smaller rebel groups, including some who broke away from the SLM.
Ibrahim Gambari, the joint special representative of the UN and the African Union in Darfur, told the ceremony that the signing "represents yet another important milestone in the road toward the destination of an all inclusive and comprehensive peace agreement that should usher in durable peace and stability in Darfur."
He warned, however, that the key to the agreement was the commitment of all parties to the implementation. Sudan`s Vice President Ali Osman Taha vowed at the ceremony that his government would be fully committed to pushing forward with the political talks to reach final peace agreement.
PTI
