The Sudanese negotiating parties have reached an agreement to share national resources between the central government and Darfur region.
The agreement stipulates allocating 40 percent of the oil and minerals resources extracted in Darfur for a period of 10 years.
South Sudan has been mediating for months between the Sudanese transitional government and armed movements that have been fighting against the army in Darfur since the conflict against then-President Omar Bashir's government in 2003, along with those in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile states.
The meeting between South Sudan’s capital, Juba, and Khartoum was held via videoconference in the headquarters of the European Union commission in both cities, due to the preventive measures taken by the country against the coronavirus outbreak.
Parties discussed financing the peace implementation process, deputy chief mediator Dhieu Matouk said, noting that they discussed several ideas, including a mining project to be managed by the Darfur authority.
The parties agreed to postpone the discussion on the issue to the next negotiation session to give the government more time to consider the matter. Power-sharing files and security arrangements are also expected to be negotiated in subsequent sessions, in order to sign a comprehensive peace agreement soon, said the South Sudan Mediation Committee for Sudanese Peace Talks.
“There are ratios proposed for power-sharing by the government, Darfur and the local population,” Matouk stressed, noting that the committee said these ideas and proposals will be subject to further consultations between leaders of the armed movements and the political leadership.
