April 2, 2020 (JUAB) - South Sudan’s mediation announced the resumption of peace talks between the transitional government of Sudan and the armed groups, adding it would be indirect due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The negotiations had been postponed for a week following the sudden death on 25 February of Sudan defence minister Jamal Omer who was also the head of the government negotiating team for security arrangements.

In a statement released in Juba, the chief mediator Tut Kew Gatluak said it was agreed with the Sudanese to resume discussions on Thursday 2 April.

"The mediation committee agreed with the negotiating parties that the negotiations should be indirect at the beginning of the first weeks of April, due to the health conditions the world is going through after the spread of the new coronavirus," Gatluak added.

He said the mediation on Wednesday received the position papers of Darfur groups and the SPLM-N Agar and extended it to Sudanese government negotiating team.

Before Omer’s death, the mediation had proposed to reduce the number of negotiating teams.

The one-week extension means that the peace agreement should be signed by 16 April.

The parties have two weeks to agree on the security arrangements and finalize some pending issues on the power-sharing file.

"The mediation committee calls on all negotiating parties to take courageous decisions in order to reach a comprehensive and lasting peace," said Gatluak who recalled that parties "peace is the main demand of the Sudanese people at the present time".

(ST)