Inter- Sudanese negotiations in Kenya suspended indefinitely

The 7th round of peace negotiations between the Sudanese government and the rebels led by John Garang in Kenya will be suspended tomorrow following weeks of negotiations during which the two sides have failed to reach a solution for pending issues according to the Kenyan mediator Lazaraos Simbayo yesterday.

Simbayo said that the two sides will discuss today and tomorrow a date for resuming their negotiations in September, noting that it is natural that a delay or postponement in dates already fixed to take place for reaching a peace agreement, which was due on September 20th.

The Kenyan official said "we do not expect people who have been fighting to hug each other within one day and a night." The Sudanese dailies yesterday quoted the Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael as calling on the African mediators of IGAD to propose new suggestions to get out of the bottleneck the negotiations have reached.

The Sudanese FM said "we want to consider Nakoro document which was submitted by IGAD to be dealt with like other documents rather than making it the only base for negotiations." The Sudanese government considered this document which calls to have the southern part of Sudan a separate army during a transitional period of 6 years as opening the way for Southern Sudan's split to be "in the hands of the rebels totally" and rejected IGAD's proposal on this ground.

Meantime, the Sudanese daily al-Anbaa talked about postponing, until indefinite time, the negotiations which was due yesterday between Khartoum and the rebels on the fate of three areas in the heart of the country. They are al-Nouba mountain, Blue Nile province and other areas where the rebels exist.