Washington expects the conclusion of Sudan's talks before the end of the month

The US secretary of state Colin Powell expressed his hope that points that are still pending in the peace negotiations between the Sudanese government and the southern rebels will be resolved before the end of March.

Powell who was talking before one of the committees of the US Senate said " I believe we will know before the end of the month if the negotiations will succeed or fail."

On Sunday in Cairo, the Sudanese foreign minister Othman Ismael announced that the current negotiations with the southern rebels are still stumbling on two points of sharing the authority and the three areas under conflict.

He said that this round of talks between the Sudanese government and the people's movement started as from February 18 and is presumed to continue until March 16.

He explained that negotiations with the rebels are stuck at the two areas of sharing the authority and the fate of three areas in the heart of Sudan which are al-Nouba mountain, the southern blue Nile estate and Eibi, where the rebels want a representations for the people of these areas.