Sudan graciously receives talk of separation

Mustafa Osman Ismael, the Sudanese foreign minister, confirmed on Thursday before leaving Nairobi to return to Sudan that his country's government will abide by launching a referendum on self-determination in the south.

The Sudanese minister added that if the Sudanese south wants to be separated after the referendum and live as a sovereign country, "let us all live a good life."

Another round of peace talks concerning south Sudan is scheduled to be held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa in three months.

In Cairo an Egyptian diplomat described the declarations of the Sudanese foreign minister concerning his country's adherence to the referendum's result as very serious, as this could lead to the establishment of an independent country in southern Sudan.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said that Egypt is currently examining the Nairobi agreement, but Egypt refused to announce any definite stance in this regard, and Moussa was satisfied by saying, "We will comment on that later, as the subject is still under examination."

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement yesterday in which it called for exerting the international and regional efforts to discuss a just, political and comprehensive solution for settling the situation in Sudan and to get away from narrow options.

The statement also announced Egypt's willingness and readiness to present humanitarian aid to the state of Bahr El-Ghazal in southern Sudan.