Qatar signing

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir is due to sign a ceasefire agreement with Darfur's main rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement, JEM.

The ceremony in the Gulf state of Qatar, is scheduled to take place in the next hour or so. It is believed that Sudan's neighbour Chad, was involved in the negotiations in the run-up to today.

The war in Darfur, began in 2003, leaving some 300,000 people dead and two and a half million others displaced, according to UN estimates. There have been other agreements before this one, but none has succeeded in ending instability in Darfur.

Focus on Africa's Hassan Arouni spoke to the BBC's Stephanie Hancock in Qatar.