Khartoum, the rebels discuss in Nairobi difficult issues
Sudan, Politics, 4/7/2003

The Sudanese government and the rebels of souther Sudan start today new talks in Kenya concerning merging their army as well as other security matters. These are in the context of the efforts made between the two sides to reach a final peace agreement by the fall of June this year.

The Sudanese President Omar al-Bashar and the leader of rebels John Garang expressed following their meeting in Nairobi last week their hope to reaching a final agreement with the fall of June that ends a civil war which has been continuous since 20 years.

However, one of the Kenyan main mediators in the negotiations Lazaro Sombyou considered that the talks which will be held in Nairobi today might be the most difficult round of negotiations.

For his part, Garang said yesterday that he wants to keep an army until the referendum will be made after the provisional period which will last for 6 years.

Garang said following talks he had held with the Egyptian foreign minister Ahmad Maher in Cairo that "the two armies will maintain peaceful relations until the date of the referendum, and if the result comes in favor of unity with Sudan, then, eventually you have necessarily to have one army." The Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and Garang expressed following their meeting last week their hopes to reaching a final agreement by the fall of June that put an end to the civil war which started since 20 years.

Since 1983, the rebels in southern Sudan have been launching war for self rule in southern Sudan. Reaching a final agreement concerning the cease fire is a vital part of the negotiations.

Previous Stories:
  Bashir, Garang meet in Nairobi; peace agreement in June   (4/3/2003)
  Al-Anbaa: Nearby meeting between al-Bashir and Garang in Nairobi   (4/2/2003)
  Al-Bashir, Garang are to meet in Nairobi in April   (3/28/2003)

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