Sudanese opposition rebuffs unity government call

The Sudanese opposition has rejected President Omar al-Bashir's invitation to a government of national unity.

The opposition parties said there was no assurance about the implementation of the national dialogue's recommendations.

President Bashir had earlier announced that wide consultations would be conducted among the Sudanese political parties to form a new national government.

The National Umma Party (NUP) Secretary-General, Ms Mariam al-Sadique, told the Africa Review that the opposition had no trust in the government promises.

She called for the continuation of the talks under the African Union, which started in Addis Ababa few months ago.

''This government can't supervise the reform process in the country,'' she said.

""The problem is not about the concepts, but the government has no political will to implement its commitments,'' she added.

Addressing the closing session of the national dialogue, President Bashir committed himself to the democratic transformation, good governance, end of the civil war, respect of the people's freedoms and the fight against poverty.

The president also declared an extension of the ceasefire for another three months until the end of this year, and called on the rebel movements and the oppositions which boycotted the national dialogue to join the process.

The closing session of the national dialogue was attended by the regional leaders, including the Arab League Chairman, the Mauritanian President Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz, the African Union chairman and Chadian President Idriss Deby, Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and Uganda's Yoweri Museveni.

The national dialogue was launched by President Bashir in January 2014, but was boycotted by the rebel leaders and the main opposition parties including NUP, headed by former Prime Minister Sadique al-Mahdi.