The Commission of the African Union (AU) has welcomed the National Congress Party's (NCP) signing of the Electoral Code of Conduct in Khartoum, Sudan yesterday. Professor Ibrahim Ghandour, NCP Secretary for Political Affairs, signed the voluntary Code which commits the parties and candidates to common principles for a free and fair election.

Sudan is expected to go to the polls on April 11. The AU says the signing of the Code by more than 15 political parties is important for the promotion of democracy and building tolerance and confidence between different political parties. The AU says it will soon be deploying a team of election observers to Sudan.

Meanwhile Sudan's army yesterday accused Darfur rebels of ambushing UN-African Union peacekeepers and said it had taken control of a central rebel stronghold in the restive west of Africa's largest country.

A force of around 60 joint UN-African Union (UNAMID) peacekeepers was ambushed on Friday and held for 24 hours by unidentified armed men in Jabel Marra, which for years has been a rebel-controlled area. – Additional reporting by Reuters