Australian expert kidnapped as Sudanese negotiations begin
Sudan, Politics, 8/5/1998

A new round of peace negotiations started on Tuesday between the Sudanese government and southern Sudan rebellions at the headquarters of Inter-Gevenmental Authority for Development in Addis Ababa. The talks will last for three days.

Kenya's foreign minister opened the three-day talks, which are being held under the auspices of IGAD, an organization of states in East Africa and the African Horn, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Djibouti, Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia.

Meanwhile, the governor of the Blue Nile province, Abdul Rahman Abu Medyan, said on Tuesday that Sudanese rebels kidnapped an Australian agricultural expert and stole 16 million Sudanese pounds (US $8,000) in an attack the rebels launched to the East of Sudan.

The Sudanese daily Alwan quoted the governor as saying the attacks carried out by the rebels were aimed at weakening the fertile Abu Kami area, where several agricultural experts works on large farms. Abu Medyan added that the attackers also took all the money from the local Sudanese agricultural bank branch.

Meantime, the British Foreign Ministry welcomed the decision of the Sudanese government to maintain a unilateral cease-fire as of Tuesday. British Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Derek Fatchett said in an official statement that the Sudanese measure represents an "important step which should help to ease the humanitarian situation."

He hoped this new Sudanese measure would help facilitate peace negotiations in Addis Ababa and called on both the Sudanese government and rebels to "negotiate seriously in Addis Ababa to bring this long-running conflict to an end." Fatchett also called for continued honoring of the ceasefire while peace negotiations proceed.

Previous Stories:
  Sudanese government announces unilateral ceasefire   (8/4/1998)
  Sudanese government announces unilateral ceasefire   (8/4/1998)
  Khartoum expects violence before Addis Ababa negotiations   (8/3/1998)

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