Government approves cease fire today, Sudanese rebels agree
Sudan, Politics, 7/16/1998

The Sudanese government has approved to cease fire for one-month in the South of the country, thereby permitting the arrival of aid supplies to the Southern regions.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Othman Ismael said in a statement to the Sudanese news agency today that the cease-fire decision has become valid immediately at the appeal of Kenyan President Daniel Arab Moi.

The decision taken by the two warring sides as a result of the starvation that threatens the life of two million people.

Southern Sudan rebels on Wednesday announced a three-month cease-fire to pave the way for deployment of aid to areas facing starvation. In statements to reporters, rebel representative Justin Back said the cease-fire decision is valid as of midnight Tuesday.

The agreement will cover Bahr al Gazelle province and parts of Upper Nile province controlled by the rebels. Back noted this agreement is unilateral. It did not agree upon the measure with the Sudanese government in Khartoum. He said that it came at the request of the international community in order to rescue more than two million persons facing the dangers of starvation.

On Wednesday, the UK minister of state for commonwealth affairs and services, Derek Fatchett, met with representatives of the rebels in order to pressure them to allow a secure passage for transporting aid to the starved areas.

Fatchett met on Wednesday with the representatives of the Sudanese government in Khartoum. Following the meeting, the Sudanese government announced that it has approved a one month truce to facilitate the transfer of emergency aid to the victims of war and starvation in Bahr al-Gazelle province.

Previous Stories:
  EU's intensive efforts for signing peace accord in Sudan   (7/15/1998)
  10 Sudanese die of thirst during attempt to sneak into Libya   (5/20/1998)
  Abdul Meguid urges Arab states to provide aid to Sudan   (5/19/1998)

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