Sudan’s national dialogue committee, known as the ‘7+7 committee’, announced Wednesday it has approved a roadmap for an inclusive dialogue aiming for nationwide peace.

The committee said the dialogue will begin within the next two weeks. The initiative is backed by the country’s ruling party but has involves a few opposition parties including the PCP. 

However, the opposition alliance National Consensus Forces (NCF) have boycotted the dialogue, saying the government did not respond positively to their preconditions for their participation.

The opposition alliance has called for formation of a national unity government during a transitional period and to postpone the 2015 general elections.

They also want political freedoms such as freedom of the press before launching the national dialogue, so as to create a more conducive atmosphere for it.

Presidential Assistant Ibrahim Ghandour on Thursday said they agreed on a deadline for the dialogue of between one to three months.

He further revealed they agreed on the tasks of various mechanisms for the dialogue, including the high coordinating committee, general conference and sub-committees, as well as topics of the dialogue, besides a mechanism for implementing the outcomes of the dialogue.

File photo: Ibrahim Ghandour