Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and Abdel-Aziz Adam al-Hilu, the leader of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement- North (SPLM-North) faction, signed a declaration of principles in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
The declaration agrees to negotiate the issues of separating state and religion and approving the right to self-determination to citizens in the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile regions.
This step moves the two closer to resolving snags that long caused civil war in the North African country.
A joint statement said that outstanding issues were addressed in the declaration of principles, however, the agreement becomes binding after its ratification by concerned authorities.
Previous rounds of negotiations between the transitional government and SPLM arrived at a deadlock over the issue of separating state and religion and the right to self-determination in the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile regions, which are core demands made by the rebel SPLM.
In the joint statement, the government and the SPLM agreed to resume negotiations in Juba under the sponsorship of South Sudan. The roles and efforts of regional and international partners was also lauded in the statement.
The two sides also agreed to establish informal negotiation workshops to resolve contentious issues such as the right to self-determination of all citizens.
The government and the SPLM will return to talks based on the outcome of these informal negotiation workshops.
The declaration comes four days after the government initialed a deal in Juba, South Sudan, with a coalition of rebel forces, lifting hopes that fighting in Darfur and other parts of Sudan is over after it continued for years under ousted president Omar al-Bashir.
Hamdok and al-Hilu have said they believe it is necessary to reach a comprehensive and just political solution to all of Sudan's conflicts, one that addresses the root causes of the crises that have racked the country.
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