Arab states welcome peace deal in Sudan

By Ibrahim al-Khazin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia on Monday welcomed the Sudanese government's initial peace agreement with armed rebel groups in Juba, the capital of neighboring South Sudan.

In a statement, Egypt's Foreign Ministry welcomed the agreement, expressing its readiness to continue supporting efforts for stability in the North African country.

In a statement, the Qatari Foreign Ministry also welcomed the pact, expressing hope that the rest of the groups in Sudan would join the peace process.

In a statement welcoming the agreement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry called on "the rest of the conflicting parties to engage in the peace process and not miss this historic opportunity."

Earlier Monday, official television in Sudan aired the signing ceremony of the pact between the Khartoum government and rebel groups.

The groups that signed the deal include the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) from the western region of Darfur, and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Malik Agar from the southern states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

The ceremony was held with the attendance of Sudan's Sovereignty Council head Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok as well as top Sudanese officials.

The peace agreement addresses key issues in resolving the Sudanese conflict, including but not limited to power sharing, wealth sharing, transitional justice, security, displaced people and refugees, and ending the 17-year conflict between the government and armed groups.

South Sudan has offered to mediate between the parties to Sudan's crisis since the unrest that led to the overthrow of longtime President Omar Bashir in April 2019 and the peace talks which began in Juba last October.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat