Arab Parliament speaker Ahmed al Jarwan welcomed Sudanese President Omar al Bashir's decision to declare a comprehensive four-month ceasefire in the states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, where fighting between armed rebels and government troops has left scores of casualties. 

In a statement Monday, he said the wise initiative of the Sudanese president would give a chance for those who carry arms to lay them down and join the political process and stem bloodshed.

Rebel fighters with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) have been battling government forces in the two southern states since 2011, in a conflict where neither side has managed to difinitively take control of the two areas.

Source: MENA