A delegation of the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) on Friday held a meeting with representatives of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) faction led by Minni Minnawi in Kampala, Uganda.

Ahmed Tugud, chief negotiator of the JEM rebel group, told Radio Tamazuj that the meeting discussed the resumption of peace talks in Addis Ababa, saying the two armed groups expressed their position on the peace process in Sudan.

The rebel chief negotiator pointed out that they urged the African Union not to push for the resumption of peace negotiations before trying to bring the viewpoints of all parties closer first.

Separately, Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, leader of the National Umma Party and signatory of the Sudan Appeal group said he will not return to Sudan unless together with members of the SPLM-N and Darfur armed movements.

According to the Khartoum-based Al-Yom Al-Tali newspaper, Al-Mahdi said all members of the Sudan Appeal force will return to the country after reaching an agreement on ceasefire with the Khartoum government.

He pointed out that the armed opposition groups will engage in a new political program without using force to overthrow the current government.