American delegation to Khartoum to accelerate peace talks

An American delegation chaired by the official for the African affairs office at the US Department Of State, Charles Snider, held talks yesterday with the Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael that dealt with means of boosting the "peace process and the humanitarian situation in Darfour."

The American delegation which also includes the assistant director for the American aid program ( US Aid), Roger Winter, met upon his arrival immediately in Khartoum on Wednesday evening the Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and his first deputy Ali Othman Muhammad Taha who leads the delegation of the Sudanese government to the peace negotiations in Nivasha ( Kenya ).

A statement issued by the Sudanese republican palace said that the talks dealt "with the peace negotiations and means of giving them a push forward." Winter told journalists following the meeting with Taha that his country is not pleased with the slow pace in the progress of Nivasha negotiations. He called for pushing it forward in order to finalize a peace agreement quickly.

Following the meeting with the Sudanese minister of state for humanitarian affairs Muhammad Youssef Abdullah Winter expressed the concern of the US over the delay of the arrival of humanitarian aid to Darfour people who suffer from the conflict taking place there between the government forces and three rebels movements.

Meantime, the inter- Sudanese negotiations are expected to be resumed on February 17.