Khartoum accuses rebels of evading Mashakos agreement

The Sudanese government has accused the rebels of the people's movement for the liberation of Sudan, led by Col. John Garang of escaping the Mashakos agreement about which the government said it had resolved the issues of the "state, religion, and the national capital."

However, the rebels replied to the Sudanese government assertions by calling to join what it called "the national consensus," in remarks to what the movement had agreed with three of the main Northern Sudanese parties, which are federal democratic, Umma party, the people's congress party on how to achieve democracy and a peace conducive to unity.

On the other hand, the leader of the Umma party and former Sudanese prime minister al-Sadeq al-Mahdi yesterday called for a settlement formula concerning the status of the capital within a likely peace agreement in Sudan. Both the government and the ruling National Congress party had refused a request by the southern and northern opposition to make Khartoum a capital that is subject to the Islamic Sharia.

Al-Mahdi called for making al-Khartoum which is situated between the Blue and White Niles to be the administrative and national capital of the state and to be subjected to "the federal laws" which do not state the implementation of the Islamic Sharia. Khartoum is composed of three adjoining cities which are Khartoum, Um Darman and Khartoum Bahri.