BAGHDAD, Aug 30 (AFP) - Shiite radical leader Moqtada Sadr ordered a nationwide ceasefire and announced his militant movement would join the political mainstream after months of violent rebellion, one of his aides said.
"The commander of the Sadr movement, leader Moqtada Sadr, announced today in Najaf the end of all fighting in the whole of Iraq and the integration of his movement in the political process," Sheikh Naim al-Qaabi said.
The firebrand cleric has spearheaded the largest rebellion against US troops and Iraqi government forces since the fall of Saddam Hussein last year.
"This decision shows that the Sadr movement wants peace and participation in the country`s political process, and within the next two days the Sadr movement will explain its political vision on this participation," Qaabi told reporters.
"The Sadr movement is the largest in Iraq because it has wide popular support and we are sure it will play an important part in the country`s political life."
The announcement came amid negotiations between Iraqi officials, coalition commanders and Sadr`s office to stop the fighting in the rest of the country after a peace deal ended months of clashes in the central shrine towns of Najaf and Kufa on Friday.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi had invited Sadr to take part in elections tentatively scheduled for January next year. At the time he said the young cleric had reacted positively to the offer but three weeks of bitter fighting erupted centred on Najaf and Kufa.
The deal brokered by top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to end that fighting provided for the participation of Sadr`s movement in mainstream Iraqi politics.
Fighting first broke out in April after the arrest of a top Sadr aide on suspicion of involvement in the murder of a moderate Shiite leader, and the closure of Sadr`s newspaper by the then US occupying authorities.
In Najaf, a senior Sadr aide confirmed the appeal to all militiamen across the country to observe a truce.
"We call upon the Iraqi government to show patience and wisdom. We also call upon all members of the Mehdi Army to stop fighting except in cases of self-defence... as we are about to submit a political project that serves the interests of the Iraqi people," Sheikh Ali Smeism told AFP.
The government said it would welcome any peace move but stressed it had not initiated the process, describing the cleric`s call as a "face-saving formula after the evacuation from Najaf".
"Having vacated Najaf, it`s very hard for them to go anywhere else," interior ministry spokesman Sabah Kahdim told AFP.
Qaabi also said that a deal to stop fighting in the impoverished, militia stronghold of Sadr City had been reached and would be signed later.
"A six-point agreement was reached Monday after more than six hours of talks between the Sadr movement and (national security adviser) Muwafaq al-Rubaie, which was given to the government which has given its agreement," he told AFP.
"The agreement should be signed at 9:00 pm (1700 GMT) between the head of Sadr`s office in Sadr City, Sheikh Hassan al-Azaari and the government," he added.
But neither a US military or interior ministry spokesman had any immediate information about the deal.
Qaabi said US troops would not enter the district except with permission from Iraqi authorities and that militiamen would had in weapons in exchange for money, except for their personal arms such as pistols and Kalasnikovs.
The government would also set up a committee to compensate people whose property was damaged in recent fighting and restore basic services in the sprawling slum.