Peace agreement on southern Sudan expected next month
Sudan, Politics, 12/25/2004

A mediator in the inter-Sudanese peace talks announced that the Sudanese Vice President Ali Othman Taha and the leader of the southern rebels movement John Garang will continue their talks during the Christmas in order to reach a comprehensive agreement before the end of the year.

The same source loomed that an agreement might be signed on December 31. 2004. In November this year, the two sides were obliged before the UN to reach an agreement before the end of the current year.

The Sudanese media center attributed the advisor of the Sudanese presidency Qatbi al-Mahdi as saying that the two sides will sign a peace agreement on January 10th in the Presidential palace in Nairobi. The government of Kenya has not confirmed the date but noted several dates for such an agreement during January 2005.

For his part, the spokesman for the southern rebels Yasser Araman said on Friday that his movement will honor the set date.

Khartoum and the southern rebels movement have been negotiating since more than 20 months and have actually reached an agreement in important areas like sharing the authority and resources, in addition to several pending issues like security, and details pertinent to technical details which are still to be settled.

The agreement states a six year transitional period after which a referendum is to be organized to decide the fate in southern Sudan.

Previous Stories:
  Bush signs draft law imposing sanctions on Sudan   (12/24/2004)
  Libyan mediation efforts in Sudan   (12/21/2004)
  Darfur rebels attack oil institutions   (12/21/2004)

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