| Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (r) watches his Sudanese counterpart Lt. Gen. Omar el-Bashir, left, as he shakes hands with National Democratic Alliance chairman Mohammed Osman |
Vice President Ali Osman Taha signed the accord Saturday with the leader of the National Democratic Alliance, Mohammed Osman, in Cairo, Egypt.
The National Democratic Alliance, or NDA, is an umbrella group that includes 13 mainly northern political parties. They have opposed President Omar al-Bashir since he took power in a coup in 1989 and armed wings of various Alliance factions have clashed with government troops.
Under the reconciliation agreement, the NDA will be incorporated into a power-sharing government that also includes southern rebels.
Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir said the deal would help unify the country. Only a few groups have yet to sign a deal with the Sudanese government, including rebels in the western Darfur region, which is torn by a bloody civil war.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.
