Bashir expects peace agreement by end of year
Sudan-Qatar, Politics, 9/29/2003

The Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir said yesterday in Doha that some 90% of pending problems in the peace negotiations between the Sudanese government and the souther rebels were solved, thanks to the recent agreement between the two sides. He expressed his hope to reach peace in Sudan by the fall of the current year.

In an open meeting with the Sudanese community in Qatar which he had left yesterday following a short visit lasting four hours, al-Bashir said "some 90% of the pending issues were solved under the recent agreement." He expressed his hope that "people will celebrate peace before the end of the current year."

He indicated that the next round of peace talks which will be launched on October 26th will discuss merging the rebel forces ( led by John Garang) within the united Sudanese armed force composed of 24,000 troops shared equally from the two sides that will be stationed in the south at a joint leadership.

He stressed that "the mission of these joint forces will be for sovereignty matters and will be only be used in internal security, unless an official order is issued to that." Al-Bashir also announced "founding two army contingents with shared troops from the armies of the government and the people's army in al-Nouba mountain, where rebels exist and also the same army for the Blue Nile."

He continued that extra forces exceeding 24,000 troops agreed upon will withdraw northward within the two coming years. Replying to a question on the future of democracy in Sudan, al-Bashir announced that the next step after peace will be lifting the emergency state "because halting the war will attain a security detente."

He also disclosed the intention to "re-establish the constitutional court and the elections commissions and all auditing departments following the peace agreement."

On the other hand, President al-Bashir expects a detente in his country's relations with the west. He commended his country's relations with Qatar which had "a great role in the detente that took place at the level of Sudan's Arab and western relations."

Immediately upon his arrival in Doha, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir met with the Amir of Qatar Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani "to be the first leader to be briefed on details of Kenya's agreement, according to statements by the Sudanese ambassador in Doha¬ Muhammad Ahmad Mustafa al-Dabi.

Previous Stories:
  Sudanese negotiations postponed until October   (9/27/2003)
  Inter- Sudanese security agreement finalized, welcomed by Moussa   (9/26/2003)
  Important step toward comprehensive solution: agreement between Sudan and the rebels   (9/25/2003)
  Cultural agreement between Qatar, Sudan   (1/6/2003)
  Ruler of Qatar received a message from the Sudanese President   (3/20/2001)
  Qatar, Sudan for boosting bilateral relations   (11/8/2000)

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