Four breakaway rebel factions join Sudan’s Dialogue

The number of rebel movements' factions participating in the National Dialogue has risen to 36.

The chairman of the National Dialogue Steering Committee, Hashim Ali Salem, told reporters at the National Dialogue's media centre that four Sudanese rebel factions recently joined the National Dialogue.

With the participation of the Sudan Liberation Movement-Second Revolution led by Abulgasim Imam, the Sudan Liberation Movement for Justice led by El Taher Hajar, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North breakaway faction lheaded by Breima Hamdan, and the New Justice and Equality Movement led by Mansour Arbab, the number of rebel movements participating in the Dialogue has risen to 36.

The chairman added that the National Democratic Front of Eastern Sudan has been given the opportunity to complete its security arrangements in order to formally join the Dialogue.

In his speech on 31 December on the occasion of Sudan’s Independence Day, President Al Bashir announced the extension of the National Dialogue for one month, until the 10th of February, “which can allow more dialogue holdouts to join in”.

Last week, in a meeting with political groups that recently joined the National Dialogue, the president renewed his call to the leaders of the civil and armed opposition abroad to join the Dialogue in Khartoum.

He pledged them full guaranty that they would not be detained, and stressed that the National Dialogue, he proposed in January 2014, is the only way to resolve the political, economic, and financial crises in Sudan.

Al Bashir also stressed his government's commitment to implement the Dialogue’s outcomes.