KHARTOUM, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Sudan said on Wednesday that it has invited African leaders to attend the opening session of peace negotiations between the government and the opposition in Central African Republic (CAR), a local media outlet reported.
The opening session is slated for mid-November in Sudan's capital Khartoum, said Sudanese Media Center.
"Khartoum's initiative to achieve peace and reconciliation in the CAR has received acceptance by the international community besides a great support from the African Union," Bushara Juma'a Aror, Sudan's information minister and government spokesman, was quoted as saying.
In August, Khartoum hosted a session of talks between the CAR's Seleka armed opposition and the Anti-Balaka militia group under a Russian initiative and the patronage of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
The talks concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which requires the establishment of a joint body for peace aiming at renouncing violence and extremism, cessation of hostilities and allowing free movement of citizens and trade with neighboring countries.
Since 2013, the CAR has been suffering from a religious and ethnic conflict after the Muslim-majority Seleka armed opposition seized power, which led to reprisal operations by the Anti-Balaka militia group said to be composed primarily of Christians.
