Sudan rebel leader says rebel gains irreversible

Sudanese guerrilla leader John Garang said yesterday he had rejected a cease-fire request by Sudan and that gains made in the rebels' most recent initiative were irreversible.

Garang, head of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), told reporters that he would not accept a cease-fire before agreeing with Khartoum on a broader framework for negotiation.

Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir asked for a cease-fire but that must wait until details have been agreed upon, said Garang in an interview at his Nairobi residence.

Garang said Bashir’s request for a cease-fire was conveyed to regional regional heads of state at the Inter-government Development Authority (IGAD) summit in Nairobi earlier this week.