Sudanese opposition leader rejects peace overtures

A Sudanese opposition leader has rejected reconciliation talks with the government.

He was speaking about attempts by a group of Sudanese parliamentarians to arrange a meeting between the country's Islamist rulers and political opponments living in exile.

The official, Mubarak al-Mahdi, said the authorities were not serious about reconciliation and were trying to sow division among their opponents.

Mr al-Mahdi heads an alliance of northern politicians and southern rebels opposed to the Islamist athorities.

Speaking in Cairo, he called on the Sudanese opposition to insist on nothing less than a public dialogue based on conditions including acceptance of political pluralism.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service