Sudan's president allows armed movements to join national dialogue

Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir announced on Sunday his government’s willingness to allow armed forces to join a national dialogue conference if they provide sufficient guarantees, saying that resolving Sudan’s problems requires everyone’s participation.

According to Sudan’s state news agency SUNA, Al-Bashir told leaders of the Sudanese political parties that the national dialogue conference would discuss the new social and political era in Sudan and propose solutions to help bring about security and safety, especially in the regions of Darfur, South Kordofan and the Blue Nile.

Al-Bashir said the meeting was also “a step towards strengthening Sudan’s international and regional relations, notably with neighbouring South Sudan, which enjoys special relations dictated by the two states’ common interests.”

The Sudanese president announced that he had given orders to the competent authorities across Sudan to allow political parties to exercise their activities without any restrictions except for those specified under the provisions of the law. “The media must also be guaranteed the freedom to exercise its role without restrictions, as long as it abides by legal provisions and according to the noble Sudanese ethics,” said Al-Bashir.

In addition, Al-Bashir declared that all political prisoners would be released if they were found to be innocent of committing any crimes.

South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 after a long and bloody conflict; however, both nations continue to suffer from internal clashes, with millions of civilians in both countries forced to flee their homes in recent years due to the violence.