 The Sudanese government has agreed to negotiate with the opposition Bija Congress as the legitimate representative of the people of eastern Sudan. The Suna news agency reported the announcement was made by Red Sea State Governor Hatim al-Wasila al-Sammani on Tuesday after he briefed President Umar al-Bashir on the situation following riots last month, in which police killed at least 14 civilian demonstrators. Major General Sammani said the meeting centred on overcoming the crisis "through political action by negotiating with the Bija Congress in addition to enhancing development operations in the fields of food security and alleviating poverty". He said a committee set up to investigate the incidents began by questioning him and would carry on with its mission for "pinpointing and punishing everyone who proved to have acted beyond his powers or failed to meet his responsibilities."
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