On the meeting between Taha, Garang

The Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael has stressed that there are no prior arrangements between the Sudanese government and the rebels to convene a meeting between the first deputy for the Sudanese President, Ali Othman Muhammad Taha, and John Garang, the leader of the rebels.

In statements, Ismael said that this position unveiled the seriousness of the government in its pursuit to attain peace in the country. Peace for the sake of which the two sides should meet as far as the chairman of the movement Garang was in the same building where talks took place in Nigeria between the Sudanese first vice President Taha with Nigeria's President.

Meantime, the Sudanese minister of state at the foreign ministry and member of the government's delegation Shoul Daniq who visited Washington last week said that the unofficial talks between the Sudanese government and the rebels in Washington achieved great successes.

Daniq said in a statement to the Sudanese daily al-Anbaa issued yesterday that Washington's talks between the government and the rebels intended an open dialogue between the two sides during which the issue of sharing the wealth and authority as well as points of differences were discussed..

He expressed his optimism that Washington's talks will pave the way for the next round of negotiations in Mashakos, Kenya in the mid of January, 2003.