Summary
Prominent Sudanese rebel groups said Tuesday they have signed a road map brokered by African Union mediators to end deadly conflicts in Sudan's strife-torn Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan regions.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced over the years in the three regions as ethnic minority groups rebelled against President Omar al-Bashir's Arab-dominated government.
Monday three of these groups – the Justice and Equality Movement, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and a faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA-Minnawi) – signed it in the Ethiopian capital.
The road map paves the way for a permanent cease-fire to be negotiated and ways for humanitarian aid to be delivered to the three areas.
A European Union statement welcomed the signing of the road map by rebel groups.
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