KHARTOUM: Sudan has for the first time accepted mediation by South Sudan’s leader in peace talks over the restive Sudanese border regions of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, a Sudanese official said on Sunday.

Sudan had previously accused its southern neighbour of stoking unrest in the two regions, where rebels kept up a fight against Khartoum’s rule even after most of the territory they fought for decades became independent South Sudan in 2011.

Sudan’s government has anno­unced unilateral ceas­efires in both regions as well as in Sudan’s troubled western region of Darfur since 2015 and fighting has subsided.

Ibrahim al-Sadiq, a spokesman for Sudan’s ruling party, said the South Suda­nese President had begun talks with factions from SPLM present in Sou­th Kor­dofan and Blue Nile over a peace settlement.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2018