Sudan president's call for reconciliation forum positive

The Sudanese opposition has in principle accepted convening of a preliminary meeting with the Sudanese government to prepare for the national reconciliation conference but under the condition that the conference will be limited to the two sides and to be held abroad.

Sudanese officials at the "democratic national coalition" and also member of the northern opposition alliance and the southern rebellions Ali Ahmad al-Sayed described the proposal made by the Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to organize a conference for national reconciliation in al-Khartoum as " a positive step."

He said that the opposition coalition has a precondition that the preliminary meeting to be limited to the " democratic national coalition" and the government and to be held outside Sudan.

In a televised speech held on the 11th anniversary of assuming power in Sudan, President al-Bashir said:" I call for convening a national forum within one month with the participation of all political parties and figures in order to push forward the "Egyptian-Libyan 'initiative which was launched in August 1999 in order to convene a national reconciliation conference in Sudan."