Khartoum, opposition reach deal
2005-06-18 13:02
Cairo, Egypt - The Sudanese government signed a reconciliation agreement with one of its largest opposition groupings on Saturday, ending a 16-year conflict with a deal officials hope will help resolve the country's worst conflict in Darfur.
The accord was signed with the National Democratic Alliance, an umbrella group that includes 13 political parties and other professional and trade unions and has an armed wing that the government wants to absorb into the national army.
"We've put our hands together and unified our goals to compensate the people of Sudan for all what they've missed on during the era of conflicts," said Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir at a signing ceremony attended by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
The reconciliation is an attempt to resolve Sudan's multiple conflicts after the government reached a peace deal in January with southern rebels, ending a 21-year civil war that killed 2 million people and displaced 4 million more from their homes.
- AP