Garang leaves the headquarters of peace talks; Bush is concerned over the pace of negotiations

The inter- Sudanese peace talks entered a new phase of vagueness after leader of the people's movement for the liberation of Sudan John Garang had left the headquarters of the talks in Kenya, and officials said he will not return back until the return back of the chairman of the Sudanese government delegation Ali Othman Taha.

Taha had left Nivasha, Kenya which hosts the negotiations on Saturday. Then officials said he will return back after two days but it is not clear until now when he will come back to take part in the talks. The two delegations of the Sudanese government and the rebels reached the final stages of the negotiations aiming at ending the civil war which claimed the life of almost 2 million inhabitants in Southern Sudan. However, the talks was stumbled by disputes over several issues.

The US President George W. Bush had urged the two sides on Wednesday to continue negotiations to end the war, noting that he so far chose not to impose sanctions on Khartoum.

According to Sudan peace law, Bush is obliged to notify the Congress if the government and the rebels are negotiating with "a good intention" to end the war. And if President Bush finds the Sudanese government does not do that, he can punish it through the move to obstruct oil revenues and the loans through international financial establishments, and the attempt to impose a ban from the UN on weapons and reducing the level of diplomatic relations.