Top opposition heads say joint alliance “safety valve” for peace talks

BBC Monitoring Middle East

By Al-Sahafah daily newspaper

KHARTOUM, Nov. 16, 2003 — The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party DUP, Muhammad Uthman al-Mirghani, and the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement SPLM, Dr John Garang, have described the strategic alliance between their organizations as a safety valve for the results achieved [recently] between the government and the SPLM in Machakos and Naivasha [Kenya] .

the two leaders announced their commitment to uphold the policy of the National Democratic Alliance NDA to strengthen the country’s unity.

In a statement released yesterday during the 15th anniversary of Sudanese peace initiative, signed between the two parties on 16 November 1988, Dr Garang and Al-Mirghani announced their intention to work with all Sudanese political parties in order to perform to the requirement of the next round of talks.