Sudanese rebels demand oil revenues sharing; Bashir confident of success

Officials in Kenya which hosts talks aiming at ending 20 years of civil war in Sudan said that the Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir expressed his confidence in the success of these talks and the establishment of peace in the country.

However, Bashir's expressed optimism concerning the negotiations that he had already expressed during a meeting with Kenya's foreign minister in Khartoum on Wednesday represents a change from his position he had taken in July when he described the proposals by mediators as having no value.

Bashir also urged the negotiators of the rebels movement and the government to hurry in working towards reaching a final peace agreement in the talks which will be held in Nanioki, Kenya.

Mediators say that the peace talks to end the civil war in Sudan reached a critical phase and that experts warn that its failure might create vaster destruction.

The souther rebels demands in the negotiations, currently taking place with the Sudanese government in Kenya, to get 60% of oil revenues in the country and 40% of the government's posts. News reports close to the negotiations said that the rebels are also asking that their leader John Garang occupy the position of the "post of the governor of the south" which includes 10 estates and the post of the first Vice President for the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.