South Sudanese President Salva Kiir will hold meetings with Sudan’s warring parties in Juba next week to mediate in peace talks over the restive regions of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, the office of the president announced on Monday.

In September, Kiir’s government and South Sudan’s rebel groups signed a peace deal mediated by Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir.

The president’s spokesman, Ateny Wek Ateny, told Radio Tamazuj that President Kiir will hold meetings with factions from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and the Sudanese government in Juba next week.

He further said President Kiir's good gesture to mediate in talks between Sudanese warring parties will yield peace in the Sudanese border regions of Kordofan and Blue Nile.

He pointed out that President Kiir will try to bring together the fragmented  factions of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Malik Agar and Abdul Aziz al-Hilu.

Kiir's offer to mediate has been praised by Sudanese government and SPLM-N faction led by Malik Agar as an important step towards bringing stability to the Two Areas.

Ateny said Kiir is the right person to push for peace in Blue Nile and South Kordofan regions, citing historical ties between SPLM-N rebels and President Salva Kiir.

“Al-Hilu and Malik worked with President Salva Kiir for a long period of time during the liberation struggle,” he said.

The consultative meeting between the Sudanese government and the SPLM-N faction led by Abdul-Aziz al Hilu over the resumption of peace negotiations concluded without significant progress in Johannesburg last week.

The rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) has been fighting against government forces in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states since 2011.