African mediators have officially invited the Sudanese government for the next round of peace talks with Sudan People's Liberation Army-North, due on October 25-30, a government official said Sunday.
Abdulrahman Abu Madyan, member of the government negotiating team, told KUNA the team was ready for the 7th round of talks and to even sign a peace agreement after the two parties reached consensus over 80 percent of outstanding issues that were discussed in the past six rounds.
Negotiations, he said, were about the Blue Nile and South Kurdufan border States. Two items on the agenda regarding security, political and humanitarian arrangement would be discussed in the next round, he added.
Abu Madyan said an agreement could be concluded in the next round "if the other party shows good intentions." He said the government has full military control in the border regions.
The conflict with South Sudan broke out in the Blue Nile and South Kurdufan States in June 2011, just as South Sudan was announcing separation from Sudan. Fighters of the SPLM-North refused Khartoum's demands to hand over their weapons, thus triggering the conflict.
UN Security Council Resolution 2046 gave the African mediation efforts, led by former South African president Thabo Mbeki international backing to spearhead negotiations between the two sides.