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UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday welcomed the signing of a roadmap agreement by Sudanese opposition groups to end conflicts in Sudan.
The opposition groups signed the African Union-proposed roadmap agreement in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Monday, more than four months after the government of Sudan signed it on March 21.
The roadmap includes ceasefire arrangements in regions of South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur, and endorses a national dialogue between major stakeholders.
"The Secretary-General is encouraged by this valuable step towards ending the war and resolving the crises in Sudan," said a statement released by Ban's spokesperson.
Ban urged relevant parties to continue working toward an agreement on cessation of hostilities, humanitarian access to conflict areas and to reach a final political settlement through inclusive national dialogue.
The conflict in Darfur began in 2003 and there has been fighting between the Sudanese army and opposition groups in South Kordofan and Blue Nile since 2011.
Due to the conflicts, around 5.8 million people in Sudan are in need of humanitarian assistance.
