Sudan's opposition party invited for dialogue

An opposition leader in Sudan has said she will honor an invitation to hold talks with the government.

The talks aimed at resolving multiple crises facing the country, will be held this month in Ethiopia under the auspices of the African Union.

“We will definitely take part in that meeting and we are very much grateful for the African Union Higher Implementation Panel,” said Mariam al-Mahdi, vice president of the Umma party upon receiving the invitation.

She added that an African Union-sponsored dialogue would be different from the one being held in Khartoum.

Sudan oppo deputy head Mariam alMahdi said Umma party was invited to meet govt officials to discuss natl dialogue aimed at resolving crises

— Aisha Dabo™ (@mashanubian) January 4, 2016

The current national dialogue was launched by President Omar al-Bashir in October.

Most opposition groups have shunned the process claiming it has been orchestrated by the ruling National Congress Party.

The Umma party is led by Mariam al-Mahdi’s father, Sadiq al-Mahdi and is among Sudan’s oldest political groups.

Sadiq al-Mahdi has lived abroad since August 2014, when he signed an agreement aimed at solving the crisis in Sudan with a union of rebels from the Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

Mariam said her father could return to Sudan if the dialogue was successful.

It remains unclear which other groups had been invited, and the African Union did not immediately comment.