Sudanese sides postpone signing the peace agreement

The Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael said yesterday that the agreement will cover all agreed upon since the begining of the negotiations in Kenya in 2002 will be signed within days, but he added that this will not extend for weeks.

Each of the Sudanese government and the southern rebels on saturday announced the postponement of signing a bilateral peace agreement. Last week Washington and the rebels in southern Sudan expressed hope that a comprehensive agreement will be signed this week to put an end to the war which started in this country in 1983 in southern Sudan.

Minister Ismael who visits al-Juninah city in Darfour west said that Nivasha's negotiations are proceeding and the only problem which is still valid is the situation of the capital Kahroum. He added that " the field is still open to have the agreement signed for days, rather than weeks and not when understanding is made over the question of the capital.

For his part, the spokesman for the southern rebels, Yasser Araman, said in statements in Nivasha that the signing of the agreement is nearby and the only obstacle lies in the desire of the government to impose the Sharia on Christians and non- Muslims in the capital, but he stressed that a common agreement will be reached within "several days."