Bush renews Sudan's sanctions, decisive negotiations in Darfur

The US President George W. Bush extended the sanctions imposed on Sudan applicable since 1997 for another year.

A statement by the White House said that because of the acts and policies of the Sudanese government which constitute a threat for the national security and foreign policy of the USA, the declared national emergency policy of November 3rd 1997 and measures taken in that date to withstanding them will continue for another year.

On the other hand, news reports coming from Darfur said that the international community and the African Union on Monday placed pressure on the district's rebels and the government of Khartoum to sign a protocol agreement over security issues.

The two delegations of the main rebel movements met in Darfur to the west of Sudan on Monday evening in Abuja to receive a new draft agreement over security issues which obstruct talks with the government since the resumption of these talks on October 21st.

A high ranking official in the African Union said after the meeting which lasted for one hour that the Union offered them the best possible solution and it is waiting for their answer, noting that the international community holds a unanimous position on that solution, and called on the two delegations of the government and the rebels to accept the text of the agreement in order to push the negotiations forward.

The spokesman for the Sudan's Liberation Movement, Mahjoub Hussein, said that the new text states in particular of declaring Darfur as a no-fly zone, one of the basic demands set by the rebel movement in Darfur.

In another development, the Sudanese government and the opposition national coalition agreed to resume their talks in Cairo following Eid al-Fiter (Ramadan Holiday) in order to reach a comprehensive solution over political, economic and constitutional issues under dispute, already discussed.