Sudan, Darfur faction agree to more talks

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KHARTOUM, Sudan, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- A faction in the Darfur Justice and Equality Movement agreed to a cease-fire and further talks after negotiations with the Sudanese government, officials say.

The talks were held from Thursday to Monday in Doha, Qatar, the Sudan Tribune reported. The government group was headed by a state minister, Amin Hassan Omer, while the JEM delegation was headed by Mohamed Bashar Ahmed and other members of the JEM's interim military council.

Representatives of the Qatari government and of the U.N. mission in the region also attended. The decision was to continue negotiations as laid out in the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur.

"The two parties signed a declaration affirming their commitment to the Peace Process and to immediate cessation of hostilities and decided to resume negotiations to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the conflict on the basis of the [Doha document]," a statement released at the end of the talks said.

In August, JEM head Gibril Ibrahim removed the group's senior military commander. On Sept. 9, the interim military council formally severed its relationship with Ibrahim, the Tribune reported.