The leader of the National Umma Party (NUP), Sadiq al-Mahdi has officially resigned from the chairmanship of the Nidaa Al-Sudan coalition, calling to review the bloc’s partnership with the other forces. Nidaa al-Sudan is an umbrella of political parties including the National Umma Party, the National Congress Party, the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement. These are armed rebel movements that have been fighting the Khartoum-based government since 2003 in Darfur and in South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions since 2011. A ceasefire was achieved following the victory of the December 2018 revolution. After his resignation, Mahdi called on the coalition to organize an urgent meeting to review the situation and the structure of the coalition. "The current stage requires a review of positions, including the structure of Nidaa al-Sudan and its alliances with other national powers," Mahdi said. "I hope that we meet as soon as possible to discuss the new structure and the options available now," he added. Mahdi, in a statement, said that the Declaration of Principles signed between the transitional government and the armed movements in Juba last week paves the way for the formation of the Peace Commission, which can draw plans for a comprehensive peace conference. He stressed that the conference will be inclusive of all armed resistance forces.