The Sudanese government and the SPLM-North, led by Abdel Aziz Al-Hilu, held preparatory meetings ahead of the peace talks that will take place in Juba on 26 May.

On 28 March, the head of the Sovereign Council and the leader of the SPLM-N signed a declaration of principles providing to separate between state and religion and to form a single national army at the end of the transitional period.

Later on, the South Sudanese mediation announced that the two sides will resume negotiations on 26 May.

In a meeting chaired by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Sunday, the Supreme Peace Council discussed the upcoming negotiations to end the conflict in the South Kordofan area and the Blue Nile.

In a statement released after, the Chairman of Sudan’s Peace Commission, Suleiman al-Dabailo said the meeting discussed all the arrangements related to the talks with the SPLM-N al-Hilu.

Al-Dabailo further said that the government negotiating delegation will travel to Juba on 25 May.

The talks between the two sides had been stalled for over a year due to the rejection of the military component in the Sudanese government of the separation between the state and religion.

For its part, the SPLM-N al-Hilu said in a statement released on Sunday that its negotiating team held consultative meetings in the movement-controlled areas in South Kordofan from April 20 to May 20.

According to the statement, the negotiating delegation held a series of meetings with the National Liberation Council, members of the Civil Authority of Sudan, led by First Secretary Arno Naqotlu Lodi, the Nuba-Mountains Governor, and the SPLA commanders.

“The meetings were characterized by clarity, frankness and transparency. Those who met with the negotiation delegation made proposals and recommendations to be included in the negotiations,” stressed the statement.