Annan expects nearby peace agreement in Sudan

The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Thursday in Khartoum announced he expects a peace agreement to be finalized before July 20 that puts an end to the Sudanese civil war.

Annan told the press following his meeting with the Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael that "peace will prevail shortly." Annan stressed that he has reached this conclusion from the process of negotiations which have been ongoing since June 17 in Nairobi between the Sudanese government and the rebels of the People's Army For the Liberation of Sudan in the framework of the initiative of the government authority for development and fighting desertification ( IGAD) which includes seven countries from East Africa.

Annan said " I expect a peace agreement to be signed in order to put an end to the war before July 20, the date for finalizing Nairobi's talks."