Sudanese FM expects a breakthrough; Kenya: Taha, Garang achieved 'tremendous progress"'
The Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael and Kenya's mediator to the talks Lazaraos Simbayo announced they are optimistic over the possibility that the current negotiations between the Sudanese Vice President Ali Othman Taha and leader of rebels John Garang would attain results.
Meantime, an official at the government's commission for fighting desertification ( IGAD) -- the patron of the negotiations -- remarked that there is still "a big gap" between the two sides concerning basic issues.
One day before the date for resuming the negotiations between the two sides in Kenya, Simbayo said that this date "is over passed by incidents," while Ismael said in Cairo yesterday said that talks between Taha and Garang are proceeding according to set plan and it is premature to make assessment on it to be a failure or a success "but we are optimistic over the possibility of having a breakthrough in issues pending between the two sides." He added that the talks which tackle basic items of differences over sharing resources and the authority in particular, and the conflict over three area which are Eiba, al-Nouba mountain and Upper Nile.
He added "we expect to sign a nearby peace between the government and the people's army," stressing "that the Arab League will have presence in the Sudanese issue in the final phase of the negotiations through the Sudan supporting fund." Ismael said after he had discussed peace talks with the prime minister of the Egyptian government Atef Obeid yesterday that he will submit a report on the process of the talks to the meeting of the Arab ministerial committee in charge of the Sudanese issue which will be meeting tomorrow.
Simbayo said that the talks between Taha and Garang attained "a tremendous progress," thanks to the face to face meetings held by Taha and Garang and he expects "they will reach political decisions." He indicated that talks between the two men are not confined to a certain date.