国际英语新闻:Sudan's ruling council, armed groups closer to reaching peace deal

KHARTOUM, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's ruling Sovereign Council on Tuesday announced that it is closer to reaching a comprehensive peace deal with the armed groups during the talks in South Sudan's capital Juba.

"The two parties to Juba talks have agreed on most of the outstanding issues between them," said the council in a press release.

South Sudan is currently hosting talks between Sudan's Sovereign Council and leaders of armed groups in Sudan's Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions, under a mediation initiative by South Sudan's President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

"The two parties have embarked on serious discussions that addressed the root causes of the problem, where the talks lasted for two days in Juba," South Sudan president's adviser Tut Galwak was quoted as saying.

Mohamed Hamdan Daqlu, deputy chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council, is leading the council's negotiating delegation to the talks with the Sudanese armed groups.

Sudan's newly-formed government, led by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, has listed realization of peace in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile as a top priority.

Mayardit proposed an initiative to mediate between the new-born Sudanese government and the Sudanese armed groups.

Two armed groups from Sudan's Darfur region, including Sudan's Justice and Equality Movement, led by Jibril Ibrahim, and the Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Minni Minnawi, are taking part in the talks, while the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdul-Wahid Mohamed Nur is absent from the talks.

Sudan People's Liberation Movement(SPLM)/Army-Northern sector, led by Malik Agar, active in Blue Nile, and the SPLM/northern sector, led by Abdel-Aziz Al-Hilu, active in South Kordofan, are also participating in the talks.