Sudan asks SPLM to send their delegates to negotiations

The Sudanese government delegation to Naivasha negotiations asked the southern rebels, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) yesterday to send the rest of their delegates to the Kenyan city.

Sayyed Al-Khatib, a spokesman for the Sudanese government delegation, told Omdurman Radio that all members of the government delegation were there but two chief SPLM negotiators were absent.

Negotiations cannot be completed without both attending, according to Khatib.

Khatib, meantime, denied that Khartoum was responsible for growing differences among SPLM leaders.

Representatives of the Sudanese government and the main southern rebel group opened in Kenya on Friday what was meant to be a final round of talks to clinch a comprehensive deal to end Africa's longest-running civil war.

Initially, lower-level delegations will meet in Kenya, before Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Taha and SPLM leader John Garagn go head to head again from December 6 to 23.

More than two years of intense negotiations have already yielded agreements on key issues such as sharing of power and wealth, leaving only details of a permanent ceasefire and technical security measures still on the table.

Khartoum and the SPLM concluded January 7, 2004 a deal to share oil resources.

This was preceded by an agreement concluded September 25, 2003, between both parties on security issues during the peace negotiations held in Naivasha.