Khartoum tables new proposals at Abuja talks

Dec 22, 2005 (ABUJA) — During its meetings yesterday, the government delegation at the Abuja talks put forward some recommendations to the power-sharing committee expressing its views on Darfur as a region, its borders and presidentship, and its national capital.

The official spokesman for the government delegation, Omar Adam Rahmah, said the recommendations of the delegation included a number of points such as a referendum of the Darfur people on whether they wanted Darfur to be one region or three states like the present ones, pointing out that the second recommendation called for the creation of a coordination council for the three Darfur states.

He said the third recommendation of the government delegation included the merging of the three Darfur state into a single state upon consultation with the Darfur people.

The fourth recommendation, he explained, was to leave the choice to the Darfur people so that they could decide to do what they wanted.

As for the security arrangements, the spokesman said consultations were still continuing on the drafting of a working agenda.

(ST)