Sudan (Darfur)

African Union leaders Tuesday have given Sudan’s transitional military council three months to achieve power transfer to civilian rule stressing that this delay should not be prolonged.

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, a rebel group in the states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, said on Wednesday it was ceasing all hostilities until July 31 as a "goodwill gesture" after the overthrow of president Omar al-Bashir.

The mission is currently drawing down, but the political landscape “has drastically changed, and has the potential to affect our mandate implementation going forward”, said the top official in Darfur, citing a postponement of a sector headquarters handover that was due to take place on Monday.

The U.N. secretary-general has appointed special adviser Nicholas Haysom to support the African Union's mediation efforts in Sudan, where the military ousted longtime President Omar al-Bashir last week.

Sudan’s President Omar Bashir may have declared a country-wide “cessation of hostilities” but in the face of continuing nationwide protests against his rule, the peace process in Darfur has “once again” come to a standstill, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Monday.

The meeting has also discussed the ongoing efforts to support stability in Darfur and the transition from humanitarian relief to reconstruction and development as well as the ongoing arrangements to implement the third phase of the UNAMID exit strategy.

The head of the African Union-United Nation Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and Joint Chief Mediator Jeremiah Mamabolo said he is focusing his efforts on the reactivation of the peace talks between the government and armed groups in Darfur.

Sudan has been rocked by near-daily demonstrations over the past two weeks. Protesters have set alight ruling party buildings and have called on President Omar al-Bashir, who took power in 1989, to step down.