Sudanese peace talks resume in Kenya; both sides strike positive note

By Al-Sahafah daily newspaper

NAIROBI, Dec 02, 2003 — The final phase of peace talks between the government and the [rebel] SPLM [Sudan People’s Liberation Movement] got under way yesterday evening in the Kenyan town of Naivasha.

The Kenyan peace envoy, Gen Lazarus Sumbeiywo, said today’s talks would concentrate on the issues of wealth- and power-sharing; steps to be taken during the transitional period; and the three disputed areas of the Nuba Mountains, Abyei and Southern Blue Nile.

Sources close to the talks confirmed that the two parties will today start talks on the pending issues.

A prominent SPLM leader, Edward Lino, said he was hoping that this round of talks would reach its ultimate aim. Lino told Al- Sahafah that the rest of the SPLM delegation’s members would arrive in Naivasha today. He added that there had been a great improvement in the government’s stances.

Meanwhile, the secretary-general of the peace advisory board in Khartoum, Ali Hamid, said this round of talks was very important and it came at a time when talks had reached an advanced stage with regard to the pending issues. Hamid told Sudanese radio that resolutions on the pending issues will be made during this round of talks. He called for the SPLM to go beyond personal ambitions for the sake of all the Sudanese people who are now looking forward to peace.

BBC Monitoring Middle East