Sudan’s Salva Kiir to meet Darfur rebels within 72 hours – SPLM
May 31, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese First Vice-President Salva Kiir will meet leaders of the SLM factions in Southern Sudan within 72 hours a SPLM official confirmed today.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) at the National Assembly, Yasir Arman, said that the First Vice – President and Chairman of the SPLM, Salva Kiir, would meet within the coming 72 hours in Yei town in south Sudan with the leaders of Sudan Liberation Movement, Abdelwahid Mohamed al-Nur, and Minni Minawi, in the presence of leaderships of Darfur.
In a press statement Wednesday, Arman said that the proposed meeting comes in the context of efforts to boost the implementation of Darfur peace agreement. Arman said that consultations were made with all the signatory parties of the peace agreement toward preparation for the meeting in Yei town.
He did not rule out participation of the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement, Khalil Ibrahim, in Yei meeting.
Arman stressed the importance of reconciliation between the Arab and other tribes in Darfur. Meanwhile, he affirmed the readiness of the SPLM to contribute to the reconciliation in Darfur.
The holdout rebel groups of SLM al-Nur faction and JEM of Khalil Ibrahim didn’t ink the Darfur Peace Agreement signed by the Sudanese government and the main SLM faction led by Minni Minawi.
Shortly before the deadline expired, the AU spokesperson Nourredine Mezni said efforts were still underway by Sudanese First Vice-President, Salva Kiir to “persuade those who did not sign” the pact to do so.
(ST)