The Sudanese government on Saturday announced that another round of peace talks between the Central African Republic (CAR) government and 14 opposition factions will be held in Sudan’s capital Khartoum next week. “The CAR government and 14 factions will participate in the negotiations which is scheduled to kick off on Jan. 24,” Al-Dirdiri Mohamed Ahmed, Sudan’s foreign minister, said at a press conference. The negotiations under the umbrella of the African Union aim to address issues of decentralised rule, general amnesty, and reintegration of fighters and involvement of the political parties in power, Ahmed explained. He further reiterated Sudan’s keenness to achieve security and stability in the CAR, as “realization of peace in the CAR will positively reflect on Sudan.” In August 2018, Khartoum hosted a session of talks between the CAR’s Seleka armed opposition and the Anti-Balaka militia group. The talks concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which requires the establishment of a joint body for peace aiming at renouncing violence and extremism, cessation of hostilities and allowing free movement of citizens and trade with neighbouring countries. Since 2013, the CAR has been suffering from a religious and ethnic conflict after the Muslim-majority Seleka armed opposition seized power, which led to reprisal operations by the Anti-Balaka militia group said to be composed primarily of Christians. Xinhua
