An agreement between the Sudanese government and Ummah Party

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Othman Ismael reached an agreement with the opposition Ummah Party, the largest opposition group, as he signed an agreement in Djibouti where leaders from eastern Africa are convening to discuss the continuing war in southern Sudan, in addition to discussing the conflict in Somalia.

El-Sadek El-Mahdi, the leader of the Ummah Party, said in press statements today that the agreement calls for establishing a democratic federal system in Khartoum and establishing a referendum for self-rule in southern Sudan.

The agreement came one day after the meeting between Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir and El-Mahdi, who was ousted from power 10 years ago in El-Bashir's coup d'etat.